Tropical storm force winds extended up to 85 miles east of the storm center. Forecasters expect rainfall from 5 to 8 inches and storm surge flooding from 2 to 4 feet above normal tide levels. Remaining tropical storm warnings for Destin east to the mouth of Aucilla River in Florida were expected to be cancelled later Friday. The main concern was the storm's effect on rush-hour traffic. Bridges could be closed if winds increase, CNN Correspondent Brian Cabell reported.
Isolated tornadoes are possible as a result of high winds from the storm.
The storm was forecast to dump up to 3 inches of rain this weekend across parts of Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas. A hurricane watch issued by the National Hurricane Center on Thursday for much of the northwestern Florida coast was canceled early Friday when the storm's strength weakened. Further inland, wind advisories were issued for parts of southern Alabama, and the Georgia cities of Columbus and Macon. Helene is the second big storm to hit Florida in the past few days. Tropical Storm Gordon washed over north Florida on Sunday night, producing minimal damage.