KEY WEST, Fla. – Hurricane Helene sent waves crashing into Key West’s Southernmost Point Buoy early Thursday while the storm itself was still hundreds of miles away.
A live feed from out of Key West showed the iconic buoy being lashed with rough waves despite how Helene’s center was around 320 miles southwest of Tampa at that time.
Helene is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane before reaching Florida’s Big Bend, according to the National Hurricane Center.
While the worst of Hurricane Helene is expected in the Big Bend and Panhandle area, the storm’s impact at Southernmost Point is a statement to how large a cyclone it is, some 800 miles wide at times as it gains strength in the Gulf. As such, many areas even as far from the eye as the Keys can expect periods of nasty weather throughout the day.
[RELATED: CONE, MODELS, SATELLITE | COUNTY-BY-COUNTY impacts | TIMELINE: When Helene will impact Central Fla. | Here’s what the ‘dirty side’ of a storm means | LIVE RADAR | Watch vs. Warning | DOWNLOAD: WKMG-TV free hurricane app]
Outer bands from the storm will move onshore and push through Central Florida throughout the day, taking us from a cloudy and gusty morning into an afternoon and evening of squally and strong storms, rain bands and stronger gusty winds.
Scattered showers will spread in Central Florida before making way for the strongest storms by Thursday afternoon and into the evening. The worst of the weather should taper off by sundown.
For county-specific impacts, click here to see a full breakdown.
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