Helene Is Expected To Be A Large Storm; Here’s Why That Matters

As The Gulf Coast waits for Helene's arrival, forecasters say the hurricane will not only rapidly grow in strength, but also in size.

Why Storm Size Matters

Storms grow in size when the environment around them has all the ingredients in place.

“If conditions are set just right when a storm is developing, it can determine its fate once it goes on to become a hurricane,” said National Hurricane Center Deputy Director, Jamie Rhome. Adding, “The size of a storm is just as important as the intensity.”

Here’s why size matters when it comes to tropical systems:

Storm surge: A larger storm can push more water onshore.

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“If you were in a swimming pool and you took your finger and ran it through the water, you wouldn't push much water. But then if you took your arm and swung it across the surface, you would push a lot more water,” explained Rhome.

“It's a two factor thing going on here. You have a coastline that's incredibly susceptible, and broad sweeps of the wind field are going to come together to produce big storm surges,” said Rhome.

Larger area of destruction: Larger storms can have a larger path of damage. Hurricane force winds extend farther from the center in a large storm, therefore, damaging winds could be far-reaching. Stronger winds mean more damage. Helene could carry hurricane force winds far inland, well away from the coast.

G​et the latest updates on the storm here.

More momentum: A bigger storm moving quickly will be able to barrel onshore with more force than a small storm moving slowly. This means the storm will be able to maintain its intensity longer.

“A little tiny storm touches land and would weaken almost instantly," explained Rhome. "But a big storm can carry the momentum, the wind and the rain farther inland.”

This means damage could extend well away from shore. Inland areas of the Southeast like Georgia could feel big impacts from the storm. Downed trees, flooding rain and power outages will all be a possibility along the storm’s path well inland.

More rain: A larger system will also bring more widespread rain. While the speed of a storm has a huge impact on how much rain will fall, a large storm will bring rain to a larger area. Helene could bring flooding far inland, to places like North Georgia and the Appalachian Mountains, which is very prone to flooding.

It’s important to remember to not focus on where the center of the storm will make landfall, because big impacts could be felt far away from the center of the storm.