Nearly the entire state of Florida is under some sort of tropical weather alert, with Tropical Storm Warnings extending hundreds of miles inland into Georgia and the Carolinas,

The National Weather Service office in Tallahassee says storm surges could reach 20 feet in the state's northwest. Landfall is expected Thursday evening.

Storm surge is a bigger killer than wind when a major hurricane hits shore. The areas in the path of Hurricane Helene are more susceptible to surge than other parts of Florida's coast.

Hurricane Helene brought destructive winds, torrential rains and the possibility of a catastrophic storm surge to the Gulf Coast and Panhandle of Florida. Officials said most people were complying with evacuation orders.

Fast-moving Hurricane Helene was advancing Thursday across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida, threatening an “unsurvivable” storm surge in northwestern parts of the state as well as damaging winds, rains and flash floods hundreds of miles inland across much of the southeastern U.

"Helene stands toe-to-toe with any of the threats that Florida has faced over the past ten years or indeed really over hurricane history."

"September 26, 2024 Hurricane Helene effects Fort Myers, FL," reads on-screen text in the video, which is a repost of a TikTok video. Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

Expected to hit Sept. 26, Hurricane Helene is forecast to be one of the largest storms in years to hit the southeastern United States. The storm passed over the Cayman Islands and Cuba. Some Cuban communities saw waves as high as 16 feet.