MIAMI VALLEY — Helene will be making landfall in the Florida Panhandle Thursday afternoon or early evening, potentially as a Category 3 (Major) Hurricane.
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Storm Center 7 Weather Specialist Nick Dunn will break down how the Miami Valley could be impacted by Hurricane Helene LIVE on News Center 7 at 5:00.
As Helene moves northward, some moisture will spread into the Miami Valley. There are some questions on the northward extent of rainfall, which will be important for rainfall impacts. As it stands right now, rain should overspread the Miami Valley during the morning hours. By the end of the day, some steady to even heavy rain look possible. This is subject to change depending on the track of Helene and the impacts with an existing upper-level low over the Mid-Mississippi Valley.
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Rainfall totals will likely vary by quite a bit, but the current expectation is for rainfall to range between 0.25″ to 1.50″ from Friday Morning to late Friday night across the Miami Valley, with highest totals south of I-70. We will look at adjusting the timing if needed as steady rains look to taper off overnight as of right now. This rainfall would be very beneficial to our drought situation. The latest drought monitor will be released on Thursday.
In terms of wind speeds, gusts of 25-40 MPH seem likely thanks to a tightening pressure gradient over the Ohio Valley. While this may not cause real damage or power outage concerns, expect loose outdoor items or decorations to be easily blown around. For trees with leaves ready to fall, these wind gusts may create wet leaves on wet roadways which can cause some minor travel issues.
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