Latest forecast
Helene -- currently a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 85 mph -- is now located about 425 miles south-southwest of Tampa, Florida.
The worst of the storm surge -- up to 20 feet -- is expected in Florida's Big Bend area, where Helene's set to make landfall.
Landfall is forecast between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Thursday as a major Category 4 hurricane with winds up to 130 mph.
Six to 12 inches of rain is in the forecast, with 18 inches projected locally.
-ABC News' Melissa Griffin