News brief

Hurricane Helene barrels toward the southeastern U.S. Fast-moving Hurricane Helene is advancing across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida and has been upgraded to a Category 3 storm. Forecasters say the storm is threatening a “catastrophic” storm surge in northwestern parts of Florida as well as damaging winds, rains, and flash floods hundreds of miles inland across much of the southeastern United States. Landfall is expected on the evening of Sept. 26. The governors of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia have all declared emergencies in their states. 

Hurricane season in the United States is underway. Given the growing intensity of storms, a debate has been swirling about whether a new category is needed on the Saffir-Simpson scale.