About 21 hours before Helene made landfall, the NHC issued a tropical storm warning from the border of Louisiana and Mississippi to the mouth of the Aucilla River along the Florida Panhandle.
Six hours later, the agency also issued a hurricane watch from the border of Florida and Alabama to the mouth of the Aucilla River.
The day before the storm moved ashore, local American Red Cross chapters had 18 emergency shelters on standby to house storm evacuees.
One shelter opened in Tallahassee and one in Apalachicola.
About 130 people evacuated to shelters in the western portion of the Florida panhandle and planes evacuated military bases in the region.
Government buildings were closed in Okaloosa, and schools were closed in Okaloosa, Walton, and Santa Rosa counties.

Despite being a weak tropical cyclone at landfall, Tropical Storm Helene caused $16 million in damage (2000 USD).
In Alabama, wind gusts reached 36 mph (58 km/h) at Brookley Air Force Base in Mobile; the same station recorded the highest rainfall in the state, with a total of 1.08 in (27 mm).
The storm also caused minor beach erosion and coastal damage along Dauphin Island.

In neighboring Florida, the storm dropped heavy rainfall along the panhandle, peaking at 9.56 in (243 mm) in Apalachicola.
The rains caused flooding, notably in Franklin, Wakulla, and Leon counties, all of which closed schools and public buildings.
Flood warnings were issued for areas affected by Tropical Storm Gordon five days prior.
High rainfall caused the Sopchoppy River to exceed its banks and reach a record crest of 34.9 ft (10.6 m), breaking the previous record set in 1970.
Several homes and nearby roads were flooded near the river.
About 100 homes were flooded in Leon County, and 70 streets were flooded in Tallahassee.
Portions of U.S. Highway 98 were flooded in Port St. Joe and near Carrabelle.
About 70 people had to evacuate their homes due to the flooding.
Flooding was minimal in the western Florida panhandle due to drought conditions the previous summer.
Sustained winds across the state peaked at 30 mph (48 km/h), though gusts reached 45 mph (72 km/h) at Cape San Blas.
At that location, there was over $100,000 in road damage and beach loss.
The winds combined with the heavy rainfall caused trees to fall onto power lines, leaving about 5,000 people without electricity.
The storm spawned 6 tornadoes along the panhandle, one of which destroyed several mobile homes in Wakulla.
As the storm moved ashore, tides were less than 2 ft (0.61 m) above normal, but were high enough to cause minor beach erosion.
In Leon County, the storm destroyed two homes and six mobile homes, and damaged more than 120 homes in Wakulla County.

When Helene moved through Georgia, it had sustained winds of around 30 mph (48 km/h), with higher gusts.
It dropped heavy rainfall along its path, with a statewide peak of 5.13 in (130 mm) in Dunwoody.
The rainfall alleviated persistent drought conditions across the state.
However, the combination of winds and rainfall downed trees and power lines; one falling tree damaged a car in Sandersville.
To the northwest of Georgia, rainfall spread into Tennessee, reaching 3.12 in (79 mm) in Copperhill.
As Helene moved through South Carolina, it spawned an F2 tornado in Martin that killed one person, injured six, and damaged 12 houses.
The highest rainfall in the United States associated with Helene was a total of 9.60 in (244 mm) in Bamberg, though weather radar images estimated totals of up to 14 in (360 mm).
The rains caused flooding along Highway 47, in nearby Orangeburg County where 5.3 in (130 mm) were recorded.
In Berkeley County, a woman died after hydroplaning and driving her car into a tree.

Rainfall in North Carolina peaked at 8.31 in (211 mm) in Longwood; in Jacksonville, the precipitation caused street flooding.
Off the shore of North Carolina, a station at Diamond Shoal Light reported wind gusts of 70 mph (110 km/h) while Helene was re-intensifying into a tropical storm.
Along the coast, the highest gusts were 52 mph (84 km/h), reported at both Cape Lookout and Duck.
About 21 hours before Helene made landfall, the NHC issued a tropical storm warning from the border of Louisiana and Mississippi to the mouth of the Aucilla River along the Florida Panhandle. Six hours later, the agency also issued a hurricane watch from the border of Florida and Alabama to the mouth of the Aucilla River. The day before the storm moved ashore, local American Red Cross chapters had 18 emergency shelters on standby to house storm evacuees. One shelter opened in Tallahassee and one in Apalachicola. About 130 people evacuated to shelters in the western portion of the Florida panhandle and planes evacuated military bases in the region. Government buildings were closed in Okaloosa, and schools were closed in Okaloosa, Walton, and Santa Rosa counties.
Despite being a weak tropical cyclone at landfall, Tropical Storm Helene caused $16 million in damage (2000 USD). In Alabama, wind gusts reached 36 mph (58 km/h) at Brookley Air Force Base in Mobile; the same station recorded the highest rainfall in the state, with a total of 1.08 in (27 mm). The storm also caused minor beach erosion and coastal damage along Dauphin Island.
In neighboring Florida, the storm dropped heavy rainfall along the panhandle, peaking at 9.56 in (243 mm) in Apalachicola. The rains caused flooding, notably in Franklin, Wakulla, and Leon counties, all of which closed schools and public buildings. Flood warnings were issued for areas affected by Tropical Storm Gordon five days prior. High rainfall caused the Sopchoppy River to exceed its banks and reach a record crest of 34.9 ft (10.6 m), breaking the previous record set in 1970. Several homes and nearby roads were flooded near the river. About 100 homes were flooded in Leon County, and 70 streets were flooded in Tallahassee. Portions of U.S. Highway 98 were flooded in Port St. Joe and near Carrabelle. About 70 people had to evacuate their homes due to the flooding. Flooding was minimal in the western Florida panhandle due to drought conditions the previous summer. Sustained winds across the state peaked at 30 mph (48 km/h), though gusts reached 45 mph (72 km/h) at Cape San Blas. At that location, there was over $100,000 in road damage and beach loss. The winds combined with the heavy rainfall caused trees to fall onto power lines, leaving about 5,000 people without electricity. The storm spawned 6 tornadoes along the panhandle, one of which destroyed several mobile homes in Wakulla. As the storm moved ashore, tides were less than 2 ft (0.61 m) above normal, but were high enough to cause minor beach erosion. In Leon County, the storm destroyed two homes and six mobile homes, and damaged more than 120 homes in Wakulla County.
When Helene moved through Georgia, it had sustained winds of around 30 mph (48 km/h), with higher gusts. It dropped heavy rainfall along its path, with a statewide peak of 5.13 in (130 mm) in Dunwoody. The rainfall alleviated persistent drought conditions across the state. However, the combination of winds and rainfall downed trees and power lines; one falling tree damaged a car in Sandersville. To the northwest of Georgia, rainfall spread into Tennessee, reaching 3.12 in (79 mm) in Copperhill. As Helene moved through South Carolina, it spawned an F2 tornado in Martin that killed one person, injured six, and damaged 12 houses. The highest rainfall in the United States associated with Helene was a total of 9.60 in (244 mm) in Bamberg, though weather radar images estimated totals of up to 14 in (360 mm). The rains caused flooding along Highway 47, in nearby Orangeburg County where 5.3 in (130 mm) were recorded. In Berkeley County, a woman died after hydroplaning and driving her car into a tree.
Rainfall in North Carolina peaked at 8.31 in (211 mm) in Longwood; in Jacksonville, the precipitation caused street flooding. Off the shore of North Carolina, a station at Diamond Shoal Light reported wind gusts of 70 mph (110 km/h) while Helene was re-intensifying into a tropical storm. Along the coast, the highest gusts were 52 mph (84 km/h), reported at both Cape Lookout and Duck. 
Tropical Storm Helene (2000)