TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — It's official — Jim Cantore is in Florida ahead of Helene, which is forecast to become a major hurricane before making landfall somewhere along Florida's Gulf Coast.
The Weather Channel said the famed hurricane harbinger touched down in Pasco County. Cantore and several other Weather Channel meteorologists were dispatched to Florida's West Coast to cover the tropical system.
Early Wednesday morning, the Facebook group called "Tracking Jim Cantore" had a post indicating Cantore was in Hudson. A post on X from the Weather Channel Thursday morning showed Cantore reporting from Tallahassee.
"Not every day you get to meet Jim Cantore in little old Hudson, FL!" group member April Scott wrote.
Where is Jim Cantore?
Right now, Jim Cantore is reportedly in Leon County, Florida. A Weather Channel report showed him reporting from Tallahassee.
What's going on with Helene?
Hurricane Helene strengthened to category 2 Thursday morning on its approach to the Florida coast. It's expected to rapidly intensify to a category 3 storm ahead of landfall somewhere in the Big Bend region.
As the storm passes parallel to the Tampa Bay area Thursday, it could bring storm surge later in the day. For Friday, winds are expected to shift out of the southwest as the system moves out of the area. Flooding and surge will continue to be a major concern until conditions return to normal Saturday.
Some Tampa Bay area counties, including Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough and Pasco have issued mandatory evacuation orders ahead of the storm's landfall.
