ATLANTA — Here’s what you need to know:
- Tropical Storm Helene officially formed in the Caribbean Sea on Tuesday afternoon
- Could be major hurricane before landfall
- Expected to make landfall on Thursday afternoon along Florida’s Big Bend
- Impacts expected in metro Atlanta later Thursday into Friday morning
- Heavy rain, strong wind gusts expected as storm gets closer
Potential Tropical Cyclone 9 has strengthened into Tropical Storm Helene in the northwest Caribbean Sea and, on its current path, metro Atlanta will feel its effects later Thursday into Friday.
In the National Hurricane Center’s latest update at 11 a.m., it officially strengthened into a named tropical storm with winds as high as 45 miles per hour.
The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency plans to hold a news briefing to discuss preparations on Wednesday afternoon.
Channel 2′s Tom Regan will be at that briefing and will have the latest details on Channel 2 Action News at 3:00 p.m.
Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brian Monahan says the storm is currently large and disorganized, but is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico by Wednesday afternoon.
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It’s expected to be a major hurricane by the time it makes landfall on Florida’s coast later on Thursday.
Monahan says that storm will then move across Georgia late Thursday night into Friday morning.
Along that path, heavy rain and strong wind gusts are likely in north Georgia. With heavy rain likely over parts of the area well ahead of Potential Tropical Cyclone 9, on Wednesday and early Thursday, localized flooding is possible.
[INTERACTIVE: StormTracker 2HD Radar]
Areas to the east of the center of the storm could also be at risk of a tornado, so depending on the exact path it takes, parts of metro Atlanta could be included in that risk.
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