Staff Reports
Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Helene’s track has solidified over the past 24 hours, with current forecasts predicting the storm’s center will crash into the Big Bend late Thursday.
Helene was officially upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane earlier today. Its sustained wind speeds are about 80 mph, and gusts can top 110 mph.
It is expected to rapidly intensify as it moves through warm Gulf waters to Florida, possibly making landfall as a Category 3 or — according to the more aggressive models — a Category 4.
While the Big Bend is in the crosshairs, Helene is expected to bring substantial storm surge to communities from Franklin County in the Panhandle down to Citrus County. In anticipation, evacuation orders have been issued for most counties along the Gulf Coast.
The National Hurricane Center also warned that life-threatening winds “will penetrate well inland,” stretching as far as southern Georgia. NHC said those in the storm’s path should complete their prep by early Thursday when tropical storm conditions are expected to arrive.
More information on evacuation orders, closures, and storm preparation are below:
— Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for more than a dozen counties along the Gulf Coast, with a handful more issuing voluntary orders. An up-to-date list of active evacuation orders is available via the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
— Fire Marshal and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis has mobilized Florida’s 13 Urban Search & Rescue teams to help search for anyone missing after the storm blasts through the Gulf Coast.
— All 67 county school districts have announced closures for Thursday, with many others canceling Friday classes. Visit the Florida Department of Education’s Storm Information page for an up-to-date list.
— This weekend’s Florida A&M vs. Alabama A&M football game set has been postponed. School officials said the teams have rescheduled for Nov. 29.
— The Florida Municipal Electric Association said it has activated its mutual aid network, with crews from nine other states already en route to help restore power after Helene tears through the state.
— The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Hurricane Center will publish updates on the storm’s strength daily at 5 a.m., 11 a.m., 5 p.m., and 11 p.m. The above report was based on NHC’s 5 p.m. Wednesday update. View the latest NHC update here.
Evening Reads
—”Why Helene is particularly worrisome for meteorologists” via Marshall Shepherd of Forbes
—“Republicans’ Electoral College edge, once seen as ironclad, looks to be fading” via Nate Cohn of The New York Times
—“Hardly anyone dislikes both candidates anymore,” via Philip Bump of The Washington Post
—”Meet the GOP personal injury lawyer buying his own Donald Trump ads” via Ken Bensinger, Nicholas Nehamas and Theodore Schleifer of The New York Times
—“Trump’s threat to American Jews” via David Frum of The Atlanticxvbn
—“JD Vance attends Winter Park fundraiser amid Florida’s hurricane emergency” via Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel
—”Inside Tucker Carlson’s traveling conspiracy show” via Stephen Rodrick of Rolling Stone
—”The art market is tanking. Sotheby’s has even bigger problems.” via Kelly Crow, Matt Wirz and Ben Foldy of The Wall Street Journal
—”Florida goes to court over pronouns while test scores drop” via Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel
—”Pasco schools stayed open Wednesday. To many, that’s not OK.” via Jeffrey S. Solochek of the Tampa Bay Times
Quote of the Day
“For most people living here, you have seen storms, but you haven’t seen one that is a Cat 3 plus.”
— Gov. Ron DeSantis, cautioning Tallahassee residents ahead of the storm.
Put it on the Tab
Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.
We don’t know whether the state’s Emergency Operations Center can weather the storm, but Gov. DeSantis seems to think it’s on Shakey Ground.
Those living in the Big Bend will need a High Tide to cope with Helene’s massive storm surge — just be sure to get to safety before imbibing.
Sorry, Busch Gardens fans; you’ll have to wait a couple of days to get your theme-park fix. In the meantime, mix up a Rollercoaster and hunker down.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
Rays trying to finish season strong
With five games remaining in the season, the Tampa Bay Rays continue chasing a winning record as they continue a series in Detroit against the Tigers (6:40 p.m. ET, Bally Sports Sun).
Tampa Bay (78-79) opened the series with a 2-1 loss last night. Wenceel Perez’s two-run double gave the Tigers the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Tampa Bay managed their only run on Brandon Lowe’s ninth-inning home run.
The Tigers have won eight of their last 10 games and are in a position to earn a wild card spot in the American League playoffs.
The Rays must win three of their final five games to finish at the .500 mark. It would be a notable achievement, considering the Rays sent most veteran players away to other teams just before the trade deadline.
At that point of the season, the Rays were 55-52. Despite the veteran departures, Tampa Bay has remained competitive, hovering around the .500 mark for the past seven weeks.
After the series with the Tigers, the Rays will finish the campaign with three games against the Boston Red Sox, who are on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention.
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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.
