Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall in Florida's Big Bend this evening as at least a Category 3 storm, causing life-threatening storm surge and delivering winds in excess of 110 mph.
As a result of what is expected to be one of the largest storms in the last century, several states have declared emergencies and waived some regulations for motor carriers and drivers delivering relief supplies.
The National Hurricane Center said the expected storm surge of 20 feet is considered "unsurvivable" and said the storm will cause "potentially catastrophic" wind damage. The NHC also said Helene is a large storm with hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 60 miles from its center and tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 345 miles.
“This is going to be a multistate event with the potential for significant impacts from Florida all the way to Tennessee,” Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Deanne Criswell said in a White House briefing.
States with emergency declarations in place as a result of the storm include:
- Florida: The maximum driving time hours of service regulations (49 CFR 395.3) are waived for motor carriers and drivers providing emergency relief through Oct. 7. The state has also waived registration requirements for trucks entering the state “to provide emergency services or supplies, to transport emergency equipment, supplies, or personnel, or to transport FEMA mobile homes or office style mobile homes into or from Florida.”
- Georgia: The maximum driving hours regulations are suspended for relief haulers. The state also waived size and weight regulations on state highways excluding interstates. Under the waiver, 5-axle vehicles can haul up to 95,000 pounds with a maximum width of 10 feet and length of 100 feet. If the width of the truck exceeds 8.5 feet and is traveling after daylight (30 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunrise), a front and rear escort is required on two-lane highways and a rear escort required on 4-lane highways.
- South Carolina: The state's emergency declaration waives hours of service regulations for carriers and drivers providing direct assistance to emergency conditions in the state or other states impacted by the storm.
- North Carolina: Its waiver exempts certain drivers from hours regulationss, including those transporting essential fuels, food, water, non-alcoholic beverages, medical supplies, feed for livestock and poultry; those transporting livestock, poultry, and crops ready to be harvested; and vehicles used in the restoration of utility and transportation services.
- Kentucky: Hours of service rules are waived for drivers traveling through the state to affected areas in other states.
National Weather Service
