A tornado warning was issued for Indian River County at about 9:05 a.m., lasting until 9:30 a.m., after a tornado warning was issued for northwest St. Lucie County at about 8:45 a.m., lasting until 9:15 a.m. A severe storm near St. Lucie West and White City was moving north at about 30 mph.

National Weather Service radar continues to show rotation in this storm and the potential to produce a tornado. The storm would continue to move north to Fort Pierce by 8:50 a.m.

Tornado warning issued for Treasure Coast

A tornado warning was issued from approximately 8:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. for the Treasure Coast, specifically southwest St. Lucie County and northern Martin County. There was a severe storm in the Tradition and Port St. Lucie area that could produce a tornado.

The National Weather Service recommends seeking shelter in a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. If you are outdoors, in an RV or in a vehicle, move to the nearest stable shelter for protection from flying debris.

Tornado warning for the Treasure Coast

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for the Treasure Coast until 8 p.m. Thursday as Hurricane Helene became a Category 2 storm at 8 a.m. A flood warning remains in effect until Friday morning.

There is also a high swell warning and a high risk of rip currents. Because the storm is arriving at the same time as high tide Thursday afternoon, water may run up to the dune line and cause minor beach erosion. High tide is expected between 3 and 5 p.m.

Rainfall expectations have dropped from 4 inches as of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday to 1-3 inches as of Thursday morning. However, the chance of tropical storm force winds has increased from 10-20% to 15-25%. Sustained winds of 20-30 mph have remained the same, with gusts likely as high as 40-50 mph.

FPUA reported 17 homes without power in the St. Lucie Village area at 7:40 a.m., but power was restored by 8:50 a.m. That’s in addition to the eight homes without power in Lakewood Park, where power is expected to be restored by 2 p.m., according to FPL. For 10 affected customers in Stuart, the estimated restoration time is 4:30 p.m.

Windy weather, no rain yet

Residents awoke early Thursday to windy weather but still no rain. Only 15 power outages were reported on the Treasure Coast as of 6 a.m., according to Florida Power and Light. Eight homes were affected in Lakewood Park, but power should be restored by 2 p.m. Thursday.

Luis Silva, 50, of Stuart was sitting at a table outside Dunkin’ just after 6 a.m. getting a coffee. He wasn’t worried about the storm. He said he was on his way to work in Port St. Lucie at a Walgreens location. “No worries,” Silva said. “Another tropical storm in the afternoon, no matter how much rain we have every day.”

Expect windy Thursday from Helene

Tropical storm force winds are expected to arrive on the Treasure Coast around 10 a.m. Thursday, lasting approximately two hours and continuing into the night. Tropical storm force winds are classified at speeds between 39 and 73 mph.

National Weather Service meteorologist Brendan Schaper warned residents to pay attention to weather alerts in case of a tornado. He said the region’s coastal areas will experience stronger wind gusts on Thursday than inland areas.

“Some of the forecast wind speeds or gusts could reach highs of 50 miles per hour Thursday morning, maybe even a few gusts close to 60 miles per hour,” he said.

A tropical storm warning has been in effect for the Treasure Coast since Tuesday night, meaning tropical storm conditions are expected within the next 36 hours.

Indian River County continues to experience cloudy weather before Helene passes the Treasure Coast

Gloomy weather continues for residents of the Treasure Coast as Helene gains strength in the Gulf of Mexico

As of Wednesday evening, Helene’s path remained unchanged.

Flooding and strong winds will not be limited to the Gulf Coast and are expected to spread hundreds of miles inland, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Hurricane Helene evolved from a disturbance into an unusually large hurricane with astonishing speed and showed signs of peaking as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 to 155 mph (210 to 250 kph) before making landfall, AccuWeather meteorologists said.

This is what schools on the Treasure Coast are doing on Thursday and Friday

St. Lucie County; Indian River County; Martin County

Here are the county facilities that will be closed on Thursday

Here’s what’s open and closed on the Treasure Coast

Breeze Airways adds Vero Beach to its list of airports it monitors

Airlines are starting to cancel flights and offer rebookings

The Army Corps of Engineers is not releasing water from Lake Okeechobee or the C-44 Reservoir/STA into the St. Lucie River ahead of Helene, a spokesperson told TCPalm on Wednesday.

Rainwater from previous storms that had soaked homes and farms in western Martin County had flowed through the St. Lucie Lock & Dam at a daily average of nearly 331 million gallons, “which is normal for this time of year,” she said.

The agency has extended the lock opening hours from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. as long as possible, but will close them before Helene makes landfall.

Officials in Tallahassee warn of possible destruction from Hurricane Helene

Tallahassee Mayor John E. Dailey said the city must prepare for a “direct hit” in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Fort Pierce Inlet

Jetty Inlet Webcam

Jensen Beach

Jensen Beach Webcam

Jupiter

Jupiter Inlet Webcam

Sebastian Inlet

Sebastian Inlet Webcam

(This story will be updated with more information, photos and videos.)

TCPalm reporters Will Greenlee, Olivia Franklin, Corey Arwood, Jack Lemnus, Nick Slater, Melissa E. Holsman, Laurie K. Blandford and photojournalist Kaila Jones contributed to this report.