It states Hurricane Helene was just upgraded. A powerful category three storm. Its already wreaking havoc on bridges and roadways such as this one youre looking at in Southwest Florida for those in the Big Bend, thats where the Florida Panhandle meets the peninsula. The storms Outer Bands all already have brought extensive flooding. And were told that works is yet to come. Listen to what federal and state officials are saying right now, it looks like its dead on hit to tallahassee. This is an unusually dangerous storm that threatens to bring Heavy Rain and potentially catastrophic flooding. This will be a statewide event. We expect strong winds throughout date with hurricaneforce Winds Wind Gust up to 8,200 miles an hour you just heard from the North Carolina Governor and the Georgia Governor we are standing by to hear from florida governor Ron Desantis in the next hour. And as you heard, it is not just florida in helenes pam, georgia, south carolina, North Carolina, are all all facing historic flooding. Some 60 Million people across 12 Southeastern United States are under some sort of Watch Or Warning related to this hurricane. Lets get right to cnns John Berman is on the ground in talent paesie, the capital of florida, and john, the Fema Administrator says, this is looking like a dead on hit where you are dead on hit on tallahassee, jake as a hurricane in that significant even historic for all the storms that have passed over tallahassee the last even 14 months, two of them, this would be the first at crossed with her Hurricane Force Strength winds. And thats a real Problem South of here is where it will make landfall about 20 miles. Thats where youll see the dangerous Storm Surge as much as 20 feet. If it crosses with windspeeds, a Hurricane Category three, category four of 120 miles per hour our wins there. It could pass over tallahassee with 100, 110 mile per hour winds. And that is just treacherous. The County Commissioner told me a short time ago, they expect thousands of trees to come down. They have all kinds of beautiful big trees here, including those huge live oaks thousands of trees could come down. Thats a serious threat to homes, cars, anything On The Roads. And of course, how were as well they expect hundreds of road closures, which could mean the Tallahassee Suffering for days and days. You see people out walking now, theyre looking around like coming whether it coming over the next several hours, that conditions will progressively get worse with those winds picking up the rain is beginning to fall. A total of ten inches of rain could fall here in tallahassee population some 200,000, the public Transportation Shutdown a 2 00 p. M. So the only way to get around is by walking or by car and they dont want people driving right now. The tallahassee democrat reporting that even Waffle House has shut all its locations in tallahassee, which is assigned because anyone whos been in a hurricane knows the Waffle House tries to stay they opened no matter what is the last thing to close, the first thing to open unless conditions are really bad, those really bad conditions or what theyre expecting here, jake and one more thing, ill add, florida governor Ron Desantis and the Disaster Management from florida. They run their operations at a tallahassee because normally tallahassee is safe place for the hurricanes that hit further South And Peninsula not this time tallahassee right in the direct path in could feel it starting around 8 00 tonight, j. John berman, thanks so much. Cnn meteorologist Elisa Rafah is tracking Hurricane Lee for us, at least to tell us what to expect in these critical hours that are coming out. Were expecting it to intensify even more. Its still sitting over very warm ocean waters with very little Wind Energy in its way. So that could allow it to continue the organized and Gain Strength. This i was a little bit clear in the last couple of scans shown us that it isnt densifying hundred and 20 miles per hour in the center of the storm. Those are the wind speeds still sitting hundred and 65 miles south of apalachicola. So again, still some time to Gain Strength here, weve already found some Wind Gusts up to 50 miles per hour for Key West at Fort Myers as well. Some of the Outer Bands have already been lashing florida today. Weve already had multiple Tornado Warnings as well because as the Outer Bands come on shore, youve got a Turning And Twisting tropical system. The threat of tornadoes continues through the night as well. Heres a look at the track. Were looking at it, maintaining this major category three strength as it makes landfall somewhere in that Big Bend of florida, apalachicola, tallahassee, the Hurricane Warnings stretch up to make in the storm is very wide about 400 miles wide. So again, not just a Florida Problem will get how far stretching the warnings stretch into georgia. All that blue tropical Storm Warnings that are in effect worried about widespread Power Outages, even in atlanta from the damaging winds. This is the unsurvivable part the Storm Surge up to 20 feet. Look at this in the Big Bend of florida, you have to escape this unique he to evacuate some Storm Surge like that. Again, the Outer Bands come in. Theres that i coming in by tonight, still 70 mile per hour winds overnight even in macon, georgia with all of that Heavy Rain, we are also worried about historic catastrophic flooding in the western carolinas. This high risk of Heavy Rain from asheville down to tallahassee is incredibly rare, only issued 4 of the time, but is responsible for 80 of the damage that we see from flooding because we are looking at up to a foot or more or of rain possible in this area here in the carolinas. And this is a mountainous area. This is this southern appalachian chain. So where were worried about is landslides that could be catastrophic for people in the carolinas and north georgia, jake. Alright meteorologist Elisa Rafah. Thanks so much. Well be back with you in a second. Lets turn now to florida State Fire Marshal jimmy patronas. Jimmy, do you feel as though florida is prepared for this massive hurricane . We are, this is the second largest Deployment Weve had an urban Search And Rescue in the State History only second to Hurricane Ian. Weve got about 1,100 men and women prestaged, Ready To Go. We brought resources in from outofstate as a precaution simply because of the magnet the two to this storm and the uncertainty and how fast it was moving your also floridas Chief Financial Officer and thus, you worked closely with Insurance Company and companies youve worn floridians, quote, do not sign anything. What kind of scans should people be looking out for . The wake of the storm jake, thank you for asking that question. What will happen is therell be predators there almost like locus. They will be canvassing the neighborhoods prestaged better than the utility companies. And they will go from Door To door because youre vulnerable. Maybe dont have electricity, maybe you have limited access to the internet but they will essentially get you to sign a document, whether its called an assignment of benefits, are directional of paint they will essentially take over your Insurance Claim because youre in a vulnerable place. Maybe you have a tree on your house. Maybe you got damaged to your roof and youre panicking because you want to get as much service to save your house as much as possible. And these predators know that if their first Phone Call is to their agent, my office at 1877, my fl cfo. Are their insurance carrier. Theres zero chance for them to be taken advantage of what do you worry about most right now what im worried most about an hour, those that are going to be too stubborn to evacuate. This storm has created some complacency in the big Bend Area of florida, this storm this Storm Area has been hit by Dahlia And Debby in the last year or two storms then the last year, this storm is very different from the two previous storms that hit the same vicinity of the state. So there are going to be those individuals that said i survived debbie. I survived i delia im just not going to leave this time. And unfortunately, thats where we have the loss of life. Thats where were going to put our first responders at the greatest risk, trying to save peoples lives. That were to reluctant to evacuate to higher ground. This storm is going quite a Storm Event stores or bet that others didnt have obviously, loss of life is the worst possible results, but billions of Dollars Worth of Storm Damage and shes also of concern because Thats Money that would normally be spent on other things, Food And Shelter for individuals, Et Cetera how is the state of florida working to minimize the cost of damage to homes and to businesses sure. So its crazy its hard to want to believe this the state of florida makes money off for hurricanes. When you have billions of dollars, theyre being paid out. An Insurance Claim, things you could take, for example, Hurricane Ian generated about 1. 5 billion dollars and non typical revenue for the state. We didnt plan for it. So those dollars or something, we are very aggressive about pushing back out to offset expenses with insurance through programs like the Moss Florida Home program, which literally helps you harden your home to buy down your insurance premiums. So weve got some programs in place. Floridas iq place, and Mother Nature loves to pay his visit. All right. And your last question im just going to say talk to the people in the path of the storm right now, talk to your fellow floridians. What should they be doing right now . Thank you. Please hunker down. You cant leave now. Its too late understand it. You have decided to stay home and youre in a low lying areas, please call a Loved One, Call Somebody else. That knows and cares about you and let them know you did not evacuate as are many and women go out and tried to rescue and try to find you. It would be great if we have a Pointer Reference to know that, hey, my sister did not ruback you. Wait, this is her address. We will take that information and it helps us pinpoint where we should look when it comes to those lifesaving recoveries that will happen in the next 20 were hours. All right. Florida State Fire Marshal at jimmy patronas. Thank you so much. Appreciate it. Just moments ago, we saw the Situation Inland in tallahassee, but next were Gonna Go to the coast, cnn, his Teams Position there as this hurricane moves in, were also standing by to hear from florida governor Ron Desantis in a press conference, plus Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is going to join us live here on the latest, his State Braces for whats to come. Were going to squeeze in a quick break. Well be right back cnn special event. The Place President ial debate. Tuesday at nine love your phone, but not the cost of your current plan no problem with straight Talk Phone you love and get one line for 25 a month. When you sweat, which the straight talk. 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A Loved One have Neizha Helium up, well send you a free book to answer questions you may have calm now and will come to you 808 to 14000 and were back with the national lead. You are looking right now at live pictures from tampa, florida. This is the Howard Franklin Bridge that crosses old the tampa bay. You can see the Storm Surge already starting to cover parts of that span as Hurricane Helene gets closer to landfall, cnn, Meteorologist Derek Van dam is in Apple Apalachicola in the Big Bend. Thats where the panhandle meets the peninsula, derek, as these Outer Bands move in this area could see some significant Storm Surge tonight and this area is bracing for what could be a generational event as well. The national Weather Service coming out of tallahassee using very strong wording, talking about this increasing likelihood of catastrophic, if not unsurvivable Storm Surge of ten to even upwards of 20 feet right around the Apalachee Bay Region just to my east where were standing roughly ten to 15 foot Storm Surge is predicted at the height of the storm as major Hurricane Helene moves in. Now we have an opportunity to speak to one of the Sheriffs Deputy of Franklin County where were located which is under a mandatory evacuation. And they talked about how the bridge behind me which connects Apalachee Ev electric cola to the eastern side of this epa electrically river of this has not closed down just yet, we actually need these sustained tropical Storm Force winds. And why i mentioned this is because tallahassee is just to my east and this bridge really connects us that lifeline of tallahassee. We want to talk about the threats that are posed to this area, not just the Storm Surge, but it is the potential for catastrophic winds. Read along that immediate the coastline. A major hurricane approaching. We know that this can cause so much damage, especially considering the Tree Coverage thats in this area and the already saturated environment, just looking at this Radar And Satellite it is. Just pushed up so much water. In terms of rainfall, just here alone and apalachicola, weve had over seven inches of rain since yesterday. So the ground is pretty saturated and the main Event Hasnt even begun yet. So we anticipate the worst of this system finally move in with that Heavy Rainfall, Flash Flooding, the threat of tornadoes, the Storm Surgeon catastrophic winds that are all typical with a landfall in hurricane of this magnitude. But im going to highlight this because this is so important. This, catastrophic, and theyre using words like unprecedented coming out of western North Carolina. This Rainfall Event that is going to shape up as this Storm System slides with a cold front thats moving through the area its going to allow this over spreading of extremely Heavy Rainfall that has allowed the national Weather Service issued this high risk of extreme rain that could lead to Flash Flooding but in them they dont take that lightly. Thats only a course for 4 of those instances, jake. And thats when we have actually 40 of fatalities and 80 of damage within those highrisk areas. So we need to watch out all right. Derek Van Dam and apalachicola, florida. Thanks so much lets bring back meteorologist so that rafah and always i want to play something from Georgia Governor Brian Kemp today as he warned people in his state to get ready for the storm. Take a listen unfortunately were going to be on the State Of Georgia and its dark counties are going to be on the dirty side of the storm, are the East Side of this storm . So Thats Something else people need to be prepared for. Be listening to your local Media Outlets for potential Tornado Watches and warnings so at least he mentioned georgia expected to be on the quote, dirty side of the storm. Explain for us what that means. Yeah, i want to show you where it is right now. You can see here so clearly when you look at the Wind Gusts, hurricane in the northern hemisphere, kind of spins itself counterclockwise plus its got this forward speed thats going north, right . So with the forwards be coming this way and the winds also coming this way, you get some of the fastest winds, right here on the northEast Side of the storm. And you can see that in the colors, how destructive these winds are right offshore here of Tampa Fort myers gusts up to 44 miles per ho