Not only is Helene strong, the hurricane is nearly as large as Texas. Here's why size makes a big difference when it comes to landfall.
What once was a tropical disturbance in the western Caribbean just a few days ago has transformed into Helen e, a powerful Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 105 mph as it barrels toward the Florida Gulf Coast. National Hurricane Center forecasters expect Helen e to continue strengthening to a Category 3 storm before landfall Thursday night. However, what may be just as important as Helen e’s intensity is the storm’s massive size.
Storm surge causes extreme flooding along the coast and it is the leading cause of hurricane-related deaths in the United States, according to the National Weather Service. Large storms like Helene cause a higher storm surge than smaller tropical cyclones. This is because Helene’s wind speeds will push more water onto the shore for a longer period.
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