Tropical Storm Helene Heads Toward Gulf Coast
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PENSACOLA, Fla. — Storm warnings were posted along the Gulf Coast on Thursday after Tropical Storm Helene formed and quickly gained strength in the Gulf of Mexico.
The center of the storm was expected to make landfall sometime Friday near Fort Walton Beach, east of Pensacola. A hurricane watch was posted for much of the western Florida coast, and at least 5 to 8 inches of rain was expected in many areas.
“At this moment, we do not feel it’s going to actually reach hurricane strength,” said Robert Molleda, a forecaster for the National Hurricane Center in Miami. “It’ll mostly be a rain event.”
At 11 p.m. EDT, the storm was centered 95 miles south of Pensacola, with sustained winds of near 65 mph. It was moving at 15 mph.
“It’s not that strong,” said Bob McCabe at his home at Navarre Beach, 20 miles east of Pensacola.
Evacuations normally are not required with a storm of Helene’s predicted intensity, but authorities prepared disaster plans anyway.
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