Sept. 26, 2024 | 8:45 a.m.

It’s a nice day in Santa Rosa County, making it hard to believe a hurricane will make landfall to our east.

Hurricane Helene, now a category two storm, is expected to make landfall around 7 p.m. tonight in Florida’s big bend. The impact on Santa Rosa County is minimal, even to the point that little rainfall is forecasted. Here’s the latest updates from a local perspective:

• Rainfall totals shifted overnight. Previously, Santa Rosa County was looking at somewhere between 2 to 4 inches of rain, but now it appears it could be a relatively dry day. There’s a 50% chance of rain today, according to the National Weather Service. The latest rainfall totals from the National Hurricane Center show Santa Rosa County in a dry area.
• A wind advisory remains in place from noon on Thursday until midnight tonight.
• As the storm makes its way through the Gulf, 64 of Florida’s 67 counties remain under a hurricane or tropical storm warning, but Santa Rosa County is not among them.

Sept. 25, 2024 | 10:01 p.m.

The National Hurricane Center released its 10 p.m. update on Hurricane Helene, which continues to show the eye of the storm hitting in Florida’s “big bend” area.

The storm is expected to make landfall in less than 24 hours, around 7 p.m. CT on Thursday.

In all 64 of Florida’s 67 counties are under a tropical storm or hurricane warning. Santa Rosa, Escambia and Okaloosa County are the three excluded.

Here are some quick updates from a Santa Rosa County perspective:

• A wind advisory remains in effect for Santa Rosa County from noon on Thursday until midnight. The wind is expected to blow between 15 and 25 miles per hour with gusts up to 40 miles per hour.
• Barring a significant, last minute change of direction,  Santa Rosa County is not expected to have major impacts from the storm. Wind and several inches of rain are expected. Computer models have been consistent on the path of the storm for several days.
• Santa Rosa District Schools are closed on Thursday, a reversal from an early afternoon decision. The wind advisory was noted as the reason why the district changed its mind.

Santa Rosa County has been added to a wind advisory by the National Weather Service.

On Wednesday morning, only the coastal areas of Santa Rosa County were put under the wind advisory, but now the entire county has been added.

The path of Hurricane Helene, updated at 4 p.m. CT, still remains far to Santa Rosa County’s east, aimed toward Florida’s big bend area.

Here’s information on the wind advisory from NWS:

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON THURSDAY TO MIDNIGHT CDT
THURSDAY NIGHT...

* WHAT...North winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph expected
  becoming northwest.

* WHERE...In Alabama, Covington, Mobile Central, Baldwin
  Central, Mobile Coastal and Baldwin Coastal Counties. In
  Florida, Escambia Inland, Escambia Coastal, Santa Rosa Inland
  and Okaloosa Inland Counties.

* WHEN...From noon Thursday to midnight CDT Thursday night.

* IMPACTS...Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects.
  Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may
  result.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high
profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects.