Hurricane Helene, upgraded to a category 2 storm on Thursday morning, continues to gather power with winds reaching 105 mph. The storm is expected to make landfall in Florida’s Big Bend between 8 and 11 p.m., bringing catastrophic storm surge to the Gulf Coast. Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in 61 of Florida’s 67 counties, with evacuation orders being issued for several areas. Hurricane Helene is predicted to be one of the largest storms in years, with only three bigger Gulf hurricanes since 1988. The storm forms part of an above-average Atlantic hurricane season, fueled by record-warm ocean temperatures.
