Hurricane Helene Could Impact Oklahoma With Significant Rainfall

Tropical Storm Helene is strengthening rapidly in the Gulf Coast and is expected to ramp up to a hurricane by the time it reaches Florida. Once Helene makes landfall, one of its possible paths could send it towards Oklahoma, significantly impacting the state with bouts of rain.

As of Tuesday, Sept. 24, the National Hurricane Center has issued warnings for the Florida coastline as Tropical Storm Helene makes it way stateside. It is currently 150 miles west of Grand Cayman with 35 miles per hour maximum wind speeds. It is moving at nine miles per hour but is expected to pick up speed on Wednesday and Thursday.

According to the Oklahoma Mesonet, there are a few routes Tropical Storm Helene could make after it lands in Florida. It is expected to move inland after striking the Florida panhandle and then it could move straight north or make curved path, a few of which could send it for Oklahoma.

If it makes its way to Oklahoma, this could mean the state would see significant rain over the weekend. According to the Oklahoma Mesonet, this isn't confirmed yet but future models are indicating a lot of rain for Oklahoma within the next week.

Hurricane season can impact Oklahoma's fall storm season.

Experts are predicting for Oklahoma to have a second severe weather season this fall, and this is partly because this year has been an active hurricane season. In May, the NOAA predicted that there would be an active tropical storm season due to a La Nina and warmer-than-average ocean temperatures. Then on August 8, the NOAA stated that the highly-active hurricane season is likely to continue in the Atlantic.

Hurricane season lasts from July 1 through November 30, so far there have been seven tropical cyclones, including hurricanes: Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, Ernesto and Francine, and the Tropical Storm Gordon and as of Sept. 24, Tropical Storm Helene.

AccuWeather recently released its fall forecast and is predicting that this year's tropical storm season will fuel an active serve weather season for the plains in the fall. The reason being is because "fall features a second severe weather season as waves of cold air begin to dive southward, clashing with the warm and humid air entrenched across most of the central and eastern portions of the nation."

@accuweather A major hurricane is coming to the Gulf of Mexico and is poised to make landfall in the United States later this week. Helene will likely be the name given to the brewing storm.⁣ ⁣ #hurricane #tropics #gulfofmexico #gulfcoast #florida #floridapanhandle #weather #forecast #accuweather ♬ original sound - AccuWeather

Damaging wind gusts, hail and tornadoes expect for Oklahoma this fall.

Because of the highly-active hurricane season, meteorologists are expecting this to impact fall severe weather, specifically in September and October for Oklahoma. These severe storms are expected to produce damaging wind gusts, hail and tornadoes.

Oklahoma has been known to produce a record number of tornadoes in October. In 2021, during a La Nina, Oklahoma recorded 28 tornadoes. The previous record was from October of 1998 with 27 tornadoes. Since 1950, Oklahoma has seen a total of 195 tornadoes in October. Comparing this year's tornado season to 2021, the hurricane season that year was the third-most active hurricane season on record, producing 21 named storms.