UPDATE: As of 11:08AM ET on September 25th, Helene has been upgraded to a Category 1 Hurricane.

We’re continuing to watch out for new updates on Tropical Storm Helene as it makes its way into the Gulf of Mexico.

Magic Kingdom during a hurricane

Tropical Storm Helene is expected to hit the Gulf Coast and parts of the Panhandle of Florida within the next day or so as Hurricane Helene, and we’re keeping up with all the updates. While Disney World most likely won’t be directly hit by the hurricane but will feel the effects of the massive storm. We’re taking a look at the updates for the tropical storm as of 7AM CDT Wednesday, September 25th.

UPDATE: As of 11:08AM ET on September 25th, Helene has been upgraded to a Category 1 Hurricane.

Around 7AM CDT on September 25th, Tropical Storm Helene was just offshore the Northeastern Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. At that point, it was close to hurricane strength and predicted to become an official hurricane early in the afternoon on Wednesday. A new cone model was issued by the National Hurricane Center, forecasting greater than 110 mph winds by Thursday afternoon.

©NHC

The Big Bend of Florida is in a hurricane warning, while the rest of Florida is in a Tropical Storm warning. The NHC recommends having preparations completed for the hurricane by early Thursday as it’s likely the hurricane will make landfall later that day. According to Eric Burris at WESH news, the hurricane is predicted to reach Category 3 status just before landfall.

NHC has issued a new #Helene cone…

Here’s the latest… pic.twitter.com/UUwtse9UsA

— Eric Burris (@EricBurrisWESH) September 25, 2024

As depicted by these models and forecasts, the hurricane will likely not pass directly over Orlando or Disney World. However, yesterday, Governor DeSantis issued an amended State of Emergency to include the counties Disney World resides in. This is due to the high probability of strong winds, large amounts of rain, and potential flooding that could impact the area as the arms of the hurricane reach out across the state.

Prepare for lots of rain in the coming days

If you’re planning to be in Disney World in the next couple of days, we recommend keeping an eye on this tropical storm and watch out for notifications from Disney on any updates to closures for the parks. As of now Disney has not preemptively closed any parks for Thursday. If the parks don’t close, you’ll likely want your rain gear with you!

Pack your ponchos and umbrellas!

We’ll continue to monitor the last updates for Tropical Storm Helene as it becomes Hurricane Helene and works its way toward Florida. Be sure to keep a close eye on the forecasts and updates if you’re in the Florida area or path of the storm.

For more news, keep following DFB!

8 DFB Reader Tips for Riding Out a Hurricane in Disney World

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