Torrential rain flooded parts of the Southeast Wednesday ahead of Helene’s arrival, making the hurricane’s incoming heavy rainfall all the more dangerous.

Widespread rain amounts upwards of 2 inches fell from central Georgia through the mountains of Tennessee and the Carolinas and farther north into Virginia. The totals below represent rain that fell from Wednesday morning to Thursday morning. In many places, several inches of rain fell in just a few hours.

More than half a foot of rain fell in parts of far western North Carolina, where Helene is forecast to dump an additional foot – maybe even up to 20 inches – of rain through the weekend. A rare level 4 of 4 risk of flooding is in place for this area, western South Carolina and northwest Georgia Thursday.

An additional area of this rare level 4 of 4 risk is in place for parts of the Florida Panhandle and southern Georgia near where Helene is expected to make landfall late in the day. Widespread rainfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches could deluge this area in a matter of hours.

A tornado watch has been issued for 17 million people in Florida until 8 p.m. ET because of Helene. This watch includes Tampa, Miami, Fort Myers and Orlando.

“Due to Helene’s large size and fast forward speed, a broad region from Florida and Georgia northward into the Carolinas will see some risk for tornadoes,” the Storm Prediction Center said. “During the day, Helene’s rain bands will overspread the FL Peninsula, with other outer bands potentially moving inland across parts of GA/SC and eventually NC through tonight.”

Additional tornado watches could be added for portions of Georgia and South Carolina later in the day as the threat advances northward. There has already been an observed tornado in South Carolina Thursday morning.

The most important thing the Federal Emergency Management Agency wants people to focus on today is staying safe, its acting associate administrator, Keith Turi, told CNN’s John Berman Thursday.

The agency has been preparing since Monday, Turi said for impacts not only in Florida, but Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Alabama.

Many of the risks hurricanes pose come after landfall, Turi said, offering the following reminders: Watch out for downed power lines, don’t walk or drive through flood water, if your power is out use flashlights, not candles, and if you have a generator, make sure you use that safely – never indoors.

“There will be time to work, focus on repairs and restoration at a later point, but we want to make sure everybody withstands the storm as best as they can,” he said.

Wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph are battering much of the Florida Keys this morning as Hurricane Helene approaches the state. Helene is currently about 350 miles southwest of Tampa, but the hurricane’s winds are far-reaching.

Tropical storm-force sustained winds extend nearly 350 miles from its center this morning, with gusts occurring even farther away, and it could grow even more as the storm strengthens. A weather reporting station near the coast just south of Naples recently recorded a wind gust of 45 mph.

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Helene pounds Naples

00:44 - Source: CNN

Large parts of the Florida coast and areas farther inland will start to experience these winds in the next few hours.

Several school districts in counties along Florida’s Gulf Coast, including the Tampa area, have announced closures ahead of the impacts of Hurricane Helene on the state.

After discussions with local emergency management officials, Hillsborough County Public Schools, which includes schools in the city of Tampa, announced their decision to close schools on Thursday. Neighboring Pinellas County schools and offices will also be closed on Thursday, the county said.

Public schools in Sarasota County will be closed on Thursday and Friday, the county announced.

Orange, Broward and Palm Beach Counties are the latest school districts to close schools ahead of Helene making landfall.

Florida A&M University (FAMU) canceled classes through Friday and announced that all academic operations will be suspended to accommodate any potential disruptions caused by the storm.

Several of the state’s universities have also announced closures. Florida State University’s Tallahassee campus announced its closure on Wednesday and expects to resume normal business operations on Monday.

FAMU’s Developmental Research School (K-12) closed on Wednesday and will remain closed on Thursday and Friday “for the safety of students, teachers, and staff.”

Hurricane Helene is strengthening and now has sustained winds of 90 mph, a strong Category 1 hurricane, according to the 5 am EDT update from the National Hurricane Center.

Helene is located about 350 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida moving to the north-northeast at 12 mph.

Continued strengthening and a significant increase in forward speed during the next 24 hours is expected and Helene will make landfall along the Big Bend of Florida later this evening or early Friday morning as a major hurricane, Category 3 or higher.

Helene is forecast to likely bring catastrophic and deadly storm surge along portions of the Florida Big Bend coast, where inundation could reach as high as 20 feet above ground level, and life-threatening storm surge is possible along the remainder of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula.

Catastrophic wind damage from Hurricane Helene could cause power outages that will “likely last days, if not weeks, near where it makes landfall,” the National Weather Service said in a Thursday morning update.

The NWS also warned that the winds could cause catastrophic damage to trees and power lines, widespread inaccessibility due to blocked roads and damage to well-built structures.

Widespread heavy rainfall is also expected with the storm, which will “likely lead to both flash flooding and riverine flooding,” the NWS said.

Governor Glenn Youngkin has declared a state of emergency Wednesday in advance of Hurricane Helene, with Virginia becoming the fifth state under emergency declarations.

Virginia is preparing for significant rainfall and flooding in western portions of the state on Friday and Saturday, the governor said.

Youngkin urged residents to stay informed and follow the direction of local officials.

The state of emergency will allow the mobilization of resources and equipment needed for preparedness, response and recovery efforts.

The governors of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina have also declared emergencies due to the storm.

Tampa officials have told residents in mandatory evacuation zones they do not have to go far, but it is “critically important” that they get to higher ground before Helene hits the state.

Castor said the storm surge will cause the water to rush in quickly.

The Tampa area is predicted to see a storm surge of 4 to 8 feet – a level that is unprecedented, Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen said.

The surge is predicted to occur after the most significant weather from the storm has come to an end, Cohen added.

Below is a select list of cities in the path of Hurricane Helene. These are general forecasts to give people an idea of when stormy conditions could start, when they might end, and how bad it could get in between.

Tampa

Storm duration: Thursday 6 a.m. to Friday 1 a.m.

Peak wind: 70 to 80 mph, likely between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Thursday

Rainfall: 3 to 5 inches

Storm surge: 5 to 8 feet of surge, peaking around high tide Thursday night (8 p.m. to 2 a.m.)

Apalachicola, Florida

Storm duration: Thursday 1 p.m. to Friday 3 a.m. Thurs to 3 am Friday

Peak wind: 100 to 120 mph between Thursday 6 p.m. and 12 a.m.

Rainfall: 10 to 12 inches

Storm surge: 10 to 15 feet of surge, peaking at landfall, Thursday between 8 p.m. and 10 a.m.

Tallahassee, Florida

Storm duration: Thursday 3 p.m. to Friday 5 a.m.

Peak wind: 90 to 110 mph between Thursday 8 p.m. and 1 a.m.

Rainfall: 6 to 9 inches

Steinhatchee, Florida

Storm duration: Thursday 1 p.m. to Friday 3 a.m.

Peak winds: 70 to 85 mph from Thursday 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Rainfall: 3 to 5 inches

Storm surge: 15 to 20 feet of surge, peaking around landfall, Thursday 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Macon, Georgia

Storm duration: Thursday 10 p.m. to Friday 10 a.m.

Peak wind: 50 to 75 mph Friday 12 a.m. to 6 a.m.

Rainfall: 5 to 8 inches

Atlanta

Storm duration: Thursday 11 p.m. to Friday 11 a.m.

Peak wind: 50 to 75 mph, Friday 3 a.m. to 8 a.m.

Rainfall: 6 to 10 inches

The National Weather Service in Tallahassee, which covers the part of Florida likely to be thrashed the hardest by Hurricane Helene, used some extraordinary language Wednesday to describe the storm surge threat: potentially “unsurvivable.”

It’s a remarkable choice of words from an agency that takes great pains to avoid hype in its forecasts, and indicates just how bad Helene could get along the coast.

Storm surge is how much the water rises above normal as hurricane winds push the ocean onto normally dry land. NWS is warning Helene’s surge could climb to as much as 20 feet in Florida’s Big Bend.

The threat of power outages to the state of Georgia from the effects of Hurricane Helene will be “significant” and “like nothing we’ve seen,” Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Director James Stallings said Wednesday.

Stalling told residents they should be prepared to be self-sufficient as winds and rain from the hurricane will affect the entire state.

Stallings said the saturated ground from a current weather system will cause trees to topple from Helene’s heavy winds, and power outages will be “significant.”

Stallings said he doesn’t want to “put fear in some folks” but the potential for mudslides in the mountainous areas of the state are also a concern.

Hernando County’s commissioner told coastal residents under an evacuation order to “get out now” on Wednesday, ahead of life-threatening storm surge expected from Hurricane Helene.

Hernando County is in Florida’s Big Bend coastal region, where Helene is expected to hit Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane.

“We’re talking about 8 to 12 feet of water. This, over the last couple of years, is the most significant forecast that we’ve come up against,” Commissioner Brian Hawkins said in a Wednesday evening news conference.

The storm surge will bring “significant, catastrophic damage” and residents need to have a plan, Hawkins said.

“We’re talking about single story homes that could be completely covered with water if the predictions are true. I can’t stress it enough. I’m asking everybody, please stay safe. Do the right thing, make a plan and evacuate,” Hawkins said, adding shelters are open and more will be opened as needed.

As rain poured down on Atlanta Wednesday, Major League Baseball announced two pivotal games were postponed due to the wet conditions.

Wednesday and Thursday’s New York Mets-Atlanta Braves games, set to take place at the Braves home stadium Truist Park, have been postponed due to “the forecast and the inclement weather.”

The MLB season was supposed to conclude on Sunday but will now extend into next week. The called-off games will be made up on Monday as part of a traditional doubleheader at Truist Park.

The postponements comes as Hurricane Helene nears, along with a cold front leading to a slow-moving line of showers and storms on Wednesday.

The combination will make for “an unprecedented” weather event in North Georgia, according to the National Weather Service.

The series between the two division rivals was seen as one of the most crucial of the 2024 MLB season to determine the final spots in the playoffs.

The Mets are currently a game up on the Braves for a wild card spot. The Braves are a half-game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the third and final wild card.

The Mets head to Milwaukee to face the Brewers this weekend while the Braves host the Kansas City Royals.

Monday’s first pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET.