Hurricane Helene has strengthened slightly as its eye approaches the Florida Big Bend. As of 9:00 PM EDT, a monitoring station in Cedar Key recorded sustained winds of 55 mph, with gusts up to 73 mph. A NOAA tide gauge in Clearwater Beach showed water levels 5.07 feet above the normal high tide, indicating some flooding in that area.
Helene is now located at 29.1°N and 84.2°W, about 65 miles west of Cedar Key and 90 miles south of Tallahassee. The hurricane’s maximum sustained winds have increased to 140 mph, and it is moving north-northeast at 24 mph. The central pressure is now 941 mb (27.79 inches).
