Hurricanes Milton and Helene
Please take a few minutes to do the Hurricanes Milton and Helene High-Water Mark Survey
The CHNEP is gathering time-sensitive water level data from Hurricanes Milton and Helene. It is critical to document this information in order to improve future storm surge and flood forecasting. We are asking you to collect and report high water marks in your area from Milton and/or Helene ASAP to help create a publicly available map of water levels during each hurricane to understand how they affected our region.
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​Water marks disappear quickly, so time is of the essence! Each entry should take only 1-2 minutes. All you need is a measuring tape and your cell phone (with location services turned on) to contribute to this effort! Scan the QR code or click on the Survey button below to input your data!
Resources
Hurricane Helene
​Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend area near Perry, Florida at around 11:10 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024 as a large Category 4 storm whose wind forces extended all the way down the west coast to Ft. Myers, FL and stormsurge surge extended all the way down to Naples, FL. Accompanying the storm was heavy rainfall and tornado activity. After moving through Florida, it went through Georgia before reaching the Tennessee/North Carolina border, where as much as two feet of rain caused catastrophic flooding in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
USA Today
Hurricane Milton
​Hurricane Milton, the second-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded over the Gulf of Mexico, behind only Hurricane Rita in 2005, made landfall at 8:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 with 120 mph winds on Siesta Key on the west coast of Florida, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene. The storm rapidly intensified prior to landfall, where it strengthened 95 mph in 24 hours over the exceptionally warm Gulf of Mexico. It brought 5 inches per hour at times in some areas and huge storm surge along the west coast of Florida - reaching a couple feet higher then Helene's surge in some areas such as in Punta Gorda, FL. Milton also produces a record 126 tornado warnings, with at least 38 tornadoes reported across Florida and 3 EF-3 very large strong tornadoes confirmed.