Helene is expected to make landfall on Florida's Big Bend this evening as a major category 4 hurricane, bringing the risk of catastrophic damage.

Helene has strengthened into a hurricane as it continues marching toward Florida, expected to bring powerful winds and dangerous storm surge to Tampa Bay and across the Gulf Coast. The latest: Tampa Bay governments and schools have closed,

Helene, currently a Category 1 hurricane, is forecast to make landfall between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Thursday as a major Category 3 hurricane. Helene is a large storm, so it could bring life-threatening storm surge for the entire West Coast of the Florida Peninsula.