Hurricane Helene now expected to reach Cat 4 strength as it heads toward Florida

Hurricane Helene is now expected to become a major Category 4 hurricane with 130-mph winds as it barrels across the Gulf Coast toward Florida with landfall predicted for Thursday.

Helene was originally predicted to become a Cat 3 storm but is gaining strength as it moves toward land.

The National Hurricane Center said "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 above ground level, along with destructive waves.''

Learn more: Why storm surges are so destructive .

Forecasters said the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend region between Tallahassee and Gainesville “need to be prepared for hurricane impacts,” AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva told USA TODAY.

Said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter, “This could be the storm that the 2024 hurricane season is remembered for.”

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Helene is expected to make landfall somewhere along the eastern part of the Florida Panhandle − possibly the Big Bend area, the curve of Florida's peninsula around the Gulf of Mexico − late Thursday, AccuWeather forecasters said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency Monday afternoon for 41 of Florida's 67 counties along and near Florida’s Gulf Coast, including all of the Panhandle.

Helene will drop an estimated rainfall of 8-12 inches, with 2 feet of rain possible in isolated areas.

On its current track, Helene is projected to unleash a barrage of threatening conditions across Florida and the Gulf Coast before bringing torrential rain as north as Georgia and the southern Appalachians, USA TODAY reported.

Helene is the fourth hurricane to hit US this year

Helene will be the fourth hurricane in the mainland U.S. in 2024:

• Beryl: Category 1, Matagorda, Texas, July 8
• Debby: Category 1, Florida’s Big Bend region , Aug. 5
• Francine: Category 2, Morgan City, Louisiana, Sept. 11

Where are advisories being issued?

• Storm Surge Watch: Indian Pass southward to Bonita Beach, Florida, including Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor.

A Storm Surge Watch means there is a possibility of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the coastline over the next 48 hours.

• Hurricane Watch: Gulf Coast of Florida from Englewood northward and westward to Indian Pass, including Tampa Bay.

A Hurricane Watch means hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the first tropical-storm-force winds arrive.

• Tropical Storm Watch: Gulf Coast of Florida from Indian Pass to the Walton/Bay County line and from north of Bonita Beach to south of Englewood.

A Tropical Storm Watch means sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph are possible within 48 hours in association with a tropical , subtropical or post-tropical cyclone.

This story was updated to add new information.

Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, Minnah Arshad, Christopher Cann, Jeff Burlew, Gabe Hauri and Doyle Rice, USA TODAY; Cheryl McCloud, Tallahassee Democrat

Source: USA TODAY Network reporting and research; National Hurricane Center; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ; Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane Helene now expected to reach Cat 4 strength as it heads toward Florida