GREENSBORO, N.C. — Hurricane Helene is on the way. It will hit Florida as a major hurricane Thursday evening and then head inland across the Southeast. Heavy rain and gusty winds and possible tornadoes are threats that need to be watched from Georgia to South Carolina and North Carolina through Friday afternoon.
The WFMY News 2 Weather Team is tracking the threat. They've issued a WFMY News 2 Weather Impact Alert day for possible flooding and power outages on Friday.
But when will the storm get here and what should you expect? Here's a timeline to get you ready for the storm.
Here's the latest timeline:
Thursday Evening
Our weather will start to change by the evening hours as Hurricane Helene heads inland into Florida and Georgia to our west. Moderate-to-heavy rain is likely through the evening with a few breaks. Winds won't be too gusty at this time.
Late Thursday into Friday morning
Winds will start to get a bit gusty overnight Thursday and rain bands will start to move into the Carolinas from time to time. We expect it to get quite wet and quite windy toward daybreak with some downpours and wind gusts in the 25-35 mph range.
Friday Morning
Heavy rain bands with wind gusts of 35-45 mph are likely Friday morning. This will make for a difficult commute with ponding of water or even flash flooding on the roadways along with gusty winds.
There will also be a threat of tornadoes with these tropical rain bands as they move through. Make SURE to have a way to receive warnings.
Friday Afternoon
The heavy rain bands will start to come to an end Friday afternoon. It will still be quite breezy. Rain will come to an end from south to north for the afternoon hours with the rain done by evening.
Weather will be nice for Saturday.
The greater threat for Friday morning will be flash flooding. Wind gust of 35 mph to 45 mph are expected. Charge your phones, computers, and battery TV incase the power goes out. Also, tornado warnings may be issued for our area.
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