Hurricane Helene has strengthened to a powerful Category 4 storm as it heads toward Florida’s Gulf Coast. The storm is expected to bring life-threatening winds, heavy rainfall, and significant storm surges to the region.

Hurricane Helene has intensified into a powerful Category 4 storm, heading for Florida’s northwest coast with an expected landfall Thursday night. The storm, described as potentially catastrophic, could produce life-threatening storm surges and dangerous winds across the southeastern U.S.

Hurricane and flash flood warnings have been issued as far inland as northern Georgia and western North Carolina. The storm has already caused power outages for nearly 900,000 homes and businesses in Florida. Governors in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas, and Virginia have declared states of emergency.

Helene’s eye was located about 90 miles south of Tallahassee, with winds of 140 mph. The storm is moving north-northeast at 24 mph, with storm surges up to 20 feet expected in Florida’s Big Bend region. Authorities are urging residents to treat the extreme wind warning seriously, seeking shelter in the most secure areas of their homes.

This comes just a year after Hurricane Idalia caused significant damage in the same area. Helene’s path has shifted eastward, sparing Tallahassee a direct hit, but putting the sparsely populated Big Bend area in its sights.

Authorities are urging people in the storm’s path to evacuate, with some residents already taking refuge in shelters. Florida officials have also warned those who choose to stay behind to mark their names and important details on their bodies in case of tragedy. Search-and-rescue teams are on standby, with federal agencies preparing for potential catastrophic damage and flooding across the region.

In Georgia, two people were killed when a possible tornado hit a mobile home as heavy thunderstorms lashed the state. More than a dozen Georgia counties could see hurricane-force winds, while up to 14 inches of rain is forecast in parts of North Carolina.

Florida has issued widespread evacuation orders, and schools, universities, and airports are closed. While Helene is expected to weaken as it moves inland, damaging winds and flooding will likely affect areas as far north as the southern Appalachian Mountains.

Helene has already left destruction in its wake, causing flooding and power outages in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba before heading northward.

In addition to Helene, the Atlantic hurricane season remains active, with Tropical Storm Isaac forming and expected to strengthen, potentially becoming a hurricane. The Pacific Ocean is also seeing activity, as Hurricane John has reformed and is threatening Mexico’s western coast with flash flooding and mudslides.

With ocean temperatures at record highs, forecasters predict an above-average hurricane season for the Atlantic this year. The ongoing threat highlights the importance of preparedness as residents in affected regions brace for Helene’s impact.

— Contributions from Associated Press journalists across the U.S. and abroad.