TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Hurricane Helene is rapidly intensifying as it continues its path north toward Florida.
Helene has become a Category 4 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.
At 6: 20 p.m., the NHC reported that Helene had maximum sustained winds of 130 and was located 120 miles west of Tampa while moving north-northeast at 23 mph.
The Tampa Bay region is already seeing the hurricane's impact, as heavy rainfall begins to bring flooding and storm surge.
WFLA viewer Brad Krantz submitted this photo from the Davis Islands Yacht Club in Tampa which shows the choppy waves from Hurricane Helene.
The wind was whipping in Downtown Tampa Thursday as Helene makes its way through the region. The Hillsborough River was choppy and the water rising; however, the water has yet not made its way over the Riverwalk.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to share a look at the storm "brewing near" her home.
A couple of boats broke free and drifted into the mangroves on the south side of the Memorial Causeway in Clearwater amid Hurricane Helene Thursday, the Clearwater Police Department announced.
"Winds are expected to increase throughout the rest of the day and night as Hurricane Helene chugs northward in the Gulf of Mexico. We continue to encourage everyone to stay off the roads and the water and keep safe indoors," police said.
WFLA viewer Sevell Brown III shared photos of a toppled-over canopy at the BP gas station located at 15th Avenue South and 34th Street in St. Petersburg as Hurricane Helene's winds whip across the Tampa Bay area.
One homeowner in Hudson, Florida, saw large sheet metal crash onto their vehicles.
Hernando County residents prepped their homes by placing sandbags and tarps in front of their doors as Hurricane Helene makes its way through the Tampa Bay region.
