Editor's note: See a live radar of Hurricane Helene and predicted timeline of its expected landfall in the player above.
Helene strengthened into a hurricane Wednesday, and forecasters warned that the storm would intensify as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico on a path to Florida.
The storm had already prompted residents to evacuate, schools to close and officials to declare emergencies in Florida and Georgia.
The hurricane was about 500 miles (810 kilometers) southwest of Tampa, Florida, and had sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Forecasters said it is expected to become a major hurricane with its center making landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida’s northwestern coast as soon as late Thursday.
The center has issued hurricane warnings for part of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Florida’s northwestern coastline, where large storm surges of up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) were expected.
The remnants of Hurricane Helene are expected to push up toward the Midwest late in the week, and could bring showers and some thunderstorms to parts of the Chicago area, especially those south of Interstate 80.
It isn't known how much rain will fall in the impacted areas before the remnants of the storm push off to the east to wrap up the weekend.
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In Florida, Tampa's airport will suspend operations Thursday, with Florida State University also shutting down its campus and other facilities also preparing for the hurricane's arrival.
Walt Disney World outside Orlando said Wednesday that it will be open on Thursday, except for its miniature golf courses and the Typhoon Lagoon water park. The theme park resort also said its Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party was canceled for Thursday.
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“We are closely monitoring the projected path of Hurricane Helene as we continue to prioritize the safety of our guests and cast members,” Disney said in a statement.
Concerns deepened Wednesday afternoon that Helene’s hurricane-force winds could be felt far inland when the storm is forecast to move rapidly northward into southern Georgia after striking Florida.
More than 30 counties in southern Georgia were under a hurricane warning from the National Weather Service on Wednesday, including some rural areas roughly 100 miles north of the Georgia-Florida line.
The hurricane warning area for Georgia included Albany, southwest Georgia’s largest city with a population of 67,000, as well as Valdosta, home to 55,000 along Interstate 75. Helene approached barely a year after Valdosta and surrounding Lowndes County took a beating from Hurricane Idalia, which damaged more than 1,000 homes and inflicted more than $6 million in damage.
