Hurricane Helene close to landfall
Category 4 Hurricane Helene is closing in on landfall, which will likely happen within the hour. Winds remain sustained at 140 mph with gusts to 155 mph in the eye wall of this storm.
Helene is producing catastrophic winds that will be spreading onshore in Florida's Big Bend region over the next few hours.
Major flooding is happening as of 10 p.m. ET in the Tampa area, with over six feet of inundation.
"This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation," the National Hurricane Center said in an alert Thursday.
"Persons should not leave their shelters and remain in place through the passage of these life-threatening conditions," the statement concluded.