As Hurricane Helene menaces Florida, officials with the National Guard say they're prepared.
Soldiers with the Florida National Guard have prepared helicopters and have loaded gear and supplies as they prepare for Helene-related missions in coming hours, including search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, security operations, and more.
WATCH LIVE: Hurricane Helene becomes Category 3 storm while it passes SWFL
Helene strengthened into a major Category 3 hurricane Thursday as it barreled across the Gulf of Mexico on a path to Florida.
As of 3 p.m., the hurricane was about 195 miles southwest of Tampa and had sustained winds of at least 111 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. The huge storm’s center is expected to make landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida’s northwestern coast Thursday evening.
Hurricane warnings and flash flood warnings extended far beyond the coast up into south-central Georgia. The governors of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia have all declared emergencies in their states.
