Hurricane Helene upgraded to Category 2 ahead of landfall on Florida's Big Bend

Hurricane Helene is expected to batter Florida‘s Big Bend as it makes landfall Thursday evening, and officials are warning of “potentially unsurvivable storm surge” where the storm is expected to strike hardest.

The storm strengthened to Category 2 on Thursday morning and is expected to reach Category 3 or higher before it makes landfall. The 8 a.m. advisory from the National Weather Service showed the storm had maximum sustained winds of 100 miles per hour, and was located 365 miles south of Apalachicola, Florida. As the storm approaches, officials are warning residents in the Big Bend of the Sunshine State.