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Lakeland and much of Florida remain under a tornado watch until 8 p.m. Thursday as Hurricane Helene’s eye continues its northward march 150 miles to the west.
A tornado warning was issued at 6:48 p.m. when weather radar spotted a rotational motion near the Polk-Hillsborough line south of State Road 60. But officials said it quickly dissippated.
High winds and rain pelted Lakeland starting late in the afternoon, and Lakeland Electric’s outage map showed 4,320 customers without power at 7:38 p.m.
Local residents can expect rain bands spun off from the storm to intensify this afternoon “as the center of the storm is off to our west,” said Paul Womble, Polk County’s emergency services director said earlier in the day. “It’s definitely weather that won’t clear until after dark.”
The worst of the wind will be late Thursday afternoon into the evening, Womble said.
Elsewhere in Florida: Collier and Lee counties in southwest Florida and Brevard County on the east coast have already had tornado warnings Thursday morning, meaning meteorologists saw rotation on radar and tornadoes had formed, he said. It’s not clear if they touched down.
Helene is expected to come ashore along the Big Bend area as a Category 3 or 4 storm and plow through Tallahassee. Storm surges in the affected areas could reach as high as 20 feet, which will bring catastrophic damage and possible fatalities. The state capital is facing winds of up to 130 miles per hour.
For now, Polk County first responders and Lakeland Electric linemen are waiting out the storm and preparing to deploy to North Florida in the morning when it is safe.
Phone alerts: Womble encouraged people to keep their cellphone alerts turned on, as annoying as they might be.
“You’re only gonna have just a few minutes to do anything from the time those warnings go out ‘til the time you have to take some action — just a few minutes,” Womble said. “So we really encourage folks to turn (on) those automated alerts on their phones.”
Instructions for managing alerts: iPhones | Android phones
You can also sign up for Polk County alerts here.
Safety tips: Womble also had some safety advice for all new Floridians who have moved to the area:
- Have a hurricane plan for you and/or your family.
- Don’t walk in flood water.
- Don’t touch or get near downed power lines; always assume they are live.
- Stay out of flooded creeks, lakes and ponds because of the danger of wildlife like snakes, alligators and floating ants, along with possible fecal bacteria contamination.
- Do not plug generators directly into a home’s breaker box unless an electrician has installed a transfer switch.
- Do not run the generator in the garage or on an enclosed porch; keep it 20 feet from the house.
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