Hurricane Helene intensified into a major Category 4 hurricane with 140 mph making landfall Thursday night bringing devastating winds and storm surge to Florida’s Big Bend, according to the

Florida residents are preparing for a heavy blow from Hurricane Helene as it moves toward Tallahassee, where it’s expected to make landfall Thursday night with winds reaching 140 mph and life-threatening storm surges.

A catastrophic and deadly storm surge is likely along portions of the Florida Big Bend coast, where inundation could reach as high as 20 feet.