Tropical Storm Helene live updates: Track its path as Florida braces for major hurricane strike

The Florida Department of Education has announced that K-12 schools across 51 counties will be closed from either Wednesday, Thursday or both days in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene making landfall.

A further 17 college systems and eight universities have announced closures, as of Wednesday morning.

“The Florida Department of Education works closely with school districts before, during and after natural disasters to ensure they have the resources necessary to resume normal operations as quickly as possible,” the departmen wrote on its website.

“We will continue collaborating with district leadership to address questions as they arise. At this time, the Department is monitoring the storm.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expanded a state of emergency declaration to 61 counties, while the state made evacuation orders effective in 20 counties ahead of Tropical Storm Helene making landfall.

According to the latest update from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, nine counties have been given mandatory orders to evacuate – including Wakulla County, Taylor County, Pinellas County, Manatee County, Hillsborough County, Gulf County, Franklin County, Citrus County and Charlotte County.

A further six counties – Baker County, Gadsden County, Jefferson County, Madison County, Suwannee County and Union County – have been issued voluntary orders to evacuate.

Dixie County, Hernando County, Levy County, Pasco County and Sarasota County have been issued information about a prospective evacuation.

Tropical Storm Helene is expected to pass near the northeastern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula during the next several hours where it is anticipated to be upgraded to a hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center’s forecast on Wednesday morning.

Helene is epexcted to “rapidly intensify and grow in size” as it passes over the eastern Gulf of Mexico, it added.

With it, Helene may bring life-threatening storm surge across the entire west cost of the Florida Peninsula and Big Bend. Hurricane-force winds could also pummel the Big Bend.

Tropical Storm Helene was rapidly strengthening in the Caribbean Sea and expected to become a hurricane Wednesday while moving north along Mexico’s coast toward the US, prompting residents to evacuate, schools to close and officials to declare emergencies in Florida and Georgia.

The storm is forecast to be “near hurricane strength” when it passes near Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula early Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said, and to “intensify and grow in size” as it moves north across the Gulf of Mexico.

Another storm system is taking aim at Florida, this time possibly the Panhandle with storm effects all along the Gulf Coast.

Tropical Storm Helene, soon to be a hurricane, is sweeping up from the Caribbean Sea into extremely warm waters that are fuel for tropical cyclones.

Curt Anderson details what you need to know: