Helene made landfall at about 11:10 p.m. ET near Perry, Florida, with 140 mph winds, making it the first known Category 4 storm to hit Florida’s Big Bend region since records began in 1851.

When a major hurricane hits, it is often the storm surge — the sea or gulf water driven ashore by winds — that poses the greatest threat to people’s lives and livelihoods. The storm surge that will accompany Hurricane Helene is expected to peak on Thursday night.

After days of brewing in the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Helene is slated to touch down along Florida’s Big Bend coast on Thursday evening as a Category 4 hurricane. The Florida Big Bend, a particular slice of the state’s northwestern coast where Florida’s panhandle region begins to curve around the Gulf of Mexico and transition into the state’s distinct peninsula,