Hurricane Helene would reach Category 4 storm before making landfall Thursday night according to a forecast from the National Hurricane Center.
AccuWeather forecasters predicted Helene would reach winds of 131 to 155 mph as it barrels along Florida’s Gulf Coast on Thursday.
According to the forecast track, Helene would make landfall in the Big Bend region by Thursday night.
Evacuations are underway in several counties including Wakulla where Sheriff Jared Miller issued a warning that the county could face “catastrophic” storm surge.
“This will not be a survivable event for those in coastal or low lying areas,” Miller said.
“There has not been a storm of this magnitude to hit Wakulla in recorded history.”
In addition to Florida, other states are bracing for the severe weather.
“Helene in a very dangerous hurricane and could become a ‘once-in-a-generation storm’ across western South Carolina and North Carolina, as well as northern and eastern Georgia,” AccuWeather senior director of forecasting operations Dan DePodwin said.
