FLORIDA - We reported earlier this week that Hurricane Helene was forecast to make landfall along the Florida Panhandle today, Thursday, September 26. As of yesterday, we learned that the storm had intensified rapidly, now likely to impact much of the Southeast United States.

According to a report from CNN, Hurricane Helene is expected to be the strongest hurricane in the U.S. in more than a year. Thousands of residents living in Florida have evacuated, while the entire state is under storm alerts. Helene brings threats of flooding rainfall and extreme winds to much of the region.

The storm will reportedly make landfall initially on Florida’s Gulf Coast later today. By then, it may have reached Category 3 major hurricane status. Conditions will be intensified due to the high temperature of the water in the Gulf of Mexico.

Yesterday, the hurricane impacted parts of Mexico’s Yucátan Peninsula and Cuba, bringing flooding rainfall and winds that knocked out power for more than 50,000 people in Pinar del Río.

As the storm officially makes landfall later today, we will be sure to keep you informed of its impact.