Tropical Storm Helen has strengthened into a hurricane and is expected to become a dangerous Category 3 storm before hitting the U.S. Gulf Coast on Thursday.
Forecasters warned that the powerful hurricane could bring “life-threatening” storm surge, high winds and flooding to much of Florida and the southeastern United States.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Helen was expected to pass off the northeastern coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula in the next few hours and make landfall in Florida late Thursday.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for nearly every county in the state.
