The latest storm about to hit Florida is quickly developing into a major hurricane, threatening communities across the southeastern U.S. However, its rapid intensification is part of a once-uncommon trend of hurricanes gaining steam as they approach the coast.
What's happening?
NBC News has reported that Hurricane Helene was 255 miles southwest of Tampa at 11 a.m. ET and is predicted to make landfall in Florida's Big Bend region by Thursday night.
While it is currently listed as a Category 2 hurricane, sustaining winds up to 105 mph and traveling northeast at 14 mph, researchers believe it will develop into at least a Category 3 hurricane with 130 mph winds by the time it hits the state.
Helene, which exhibited 85 mph winds early this morning, will likely meet the criteria for rapid intensification — defined by a 35 mph increase in wind speed within 24 hours — should it reach its projections.
It's a phenomenon that is atypical among historical data, as hurricanes tend to decrease in strength as they make landfall.
Why is Helene's rapid intensification concerning?
Earth's overheating, fueled by human-driven pollution, has made hurricanes with similar characteristics to Helene more frequent.
According to The Weather Channel, Helene's rapid intensification as it approaches the country is a result of low wind shear — or the change in direction and speed of winds, both vertically and horizontally — and deep, warm ocean waters, the latter of which has been caused by an overreliance on dirty energy sources.
Higher ocean temperatures lead to higher atmospheric humidity, creating the ideal circumstances for more devastating hurricanes.
As such, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a "rare news release" regarding the severity of Helene, and experts are warning that the hurricane's rapid intensification could bring with it an "unsurvivable" storm surge that will top out at 20 feet high and cause "catastrophic" damage.
The devastation won't be limited to just Florida, as The Weather Channel expects parts of surrounding states, like Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, to experience "life-threatening flash flooding, damaging winds, and some tornadoes."
What's being done to protect residents from Helene?
According to NBC News, a state of emergency has been issued in 61 of Florida's 67 counties, and the NOAA urged residents to heed evacuation orders.
Additionally, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has prepared 3,500 soldiers and 200 highway patrol troopers to respond to emergencies, while the state's Department of Transportation has 550 generators and 40 large pumps for water removal in low-lying areas.
As the U.S. braces for Hurricane Helene, it's important to remember the individual action we can take — like switching to electric lawn tools or taking public transportation — to create a more sustainable lifestyle and help reduce the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.
There's also the hope that innovations, including flood-proof buildings and Lego-like bricks made of plastic waste to create "hurricane-proof fortresses," can become more widespread to protect future generations.
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