Damaging Hurricanes John and Helene Hitting the Coasts

So far, fortunately, the predicted very active 2024 hurricane season has not lived up to expectations. That doesn’t mean people close to the storms that have erupted care about the predictions — the Grenadines were hammered early in the season by Hurricane Beryl. It’s the local predicament that matters.

In the Pacific, Hurricane John rapidly ramped up to a Category 3 storm and struck the southern Mexico coast south of Acapulco (site of last year’s devastating Hurricane Otis). It is now Tropical Storm John that is landing off the Mexican coast, continuing to bring torrential rains with life-threatening mudslides and flooding. Meanwhile, the Gulf Coast of Florida is bracing for Hurricane Helene, poised to hit tomorrow morning.

The so-called “Big Bend Coast” of Florida is somewhat lightly populated, though that doesn’t matter much to those who live there. The wind, rain and storm surge will be significant, so residents and boating interests are doing the best they can to prepare before it arrives tomorrow. Current predictions are for Helene to hit the coast as a Category 3 or 4 hurricane, meaning wind speeds from 111 mph to 156 mph. Even at the lower end, the wind combined with rain will cause severe damage to those facing the current uncertain path of the storm’s eye.

Hurricane/Tropical Storm John continues to travel along the Mexican coastline. While the winds are reduced, they’re still damaging, and forecasts predict rains of 6 inches up to an impossible-to-imagine 30 inches in isolated areas.

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