Helene will make landfall on Thursday evening along Florida’s Big Bend coast. Currently a Category 3 hurricane with 120-mile-per-hour winds, the storm had already brought heavy rainfall and flooding to parts of the state as of Thursday morning.
Many residents of the region, even hardened veterans of Florida hurricanes, have chosen to evacuate, leaving some areas deserted.
Streets were flooded in the Shore Acres neighborhood of St. Petersburg, Fla., on Thursday.
Businesses in Old Town, Fla., were boarded up.
A small coastal community, Dark Island, was surrounded by rising tidewaters.
Forecasters are predicting record-breaking storm surges, potentially rising 15 to 20 feet above normal tide levels.
James and Maddie Burmeister boarded up their business.
Floodwaters reached the Twin City mobile home park in St. Petersburg.
A traffic camera showed waves crashing over highways near Tampa.
Residents filled sandbags in Clearwater, Fla., on Wednesday.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hurricane Hunter team flew through Tropical Storm Helene on Tuesday.