The United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) declared that Helene is now an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 hurricane.
An advisory was issued for the Atlantic, stating that a "catastrophic and deathly storm surge" is expected along Florida's Big Bend coast. Strong winds will spread to northern parts of Florida and southern areas of Georgia, with the hurricane expected to make landfall in the Sunshine State on Thursday evening local time. The NHC further warned of "life-threatening" flash flooding and landslides in the southern Appalachian Mountains, while also notifying the residents of Georgia and the Carolinas to prepare for the possibility of protracted power outages.
Currently, a state of emergency is in force in 61 of Florida's 67 counties.
