Hurricane Helene’s rain bands affect Key West; drains clog and streets flood

KEY WEST, Fla. — Hurricane Helene was moving fast Thursday on the Gulf of Mexico. The wide Category 2′s rain bands affected the Florida Keys. Waves crashed into the anchored concrete Southernmost Point Buoy in Key West.

The wind beat the towering Royal poincianas and the resilient coastal Seagrape shrubs. Dry leaves and debris quickly clogged some drains. Some residents volunteered to clean them to avoid flooding.

Monroe County schools and school district offices were closed Thursday.

Helene had already forced many to evacuate flood-prone areas in western Cuba’s Pinar del Rio and Artemisa provinces. In Key West, the streets flooded but there wasn’t any damage.

Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in Florida. Hurricane Helene is forecast to make landfall Thursday night in the Big Bend area as a Category 4 hurricane.

COMPLETE COVERAGE

Afternoon forecast for South Florida

Reporting from Key West

Reporting from Apalachicola

Reporting from Tallahassee

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