The Big Bend area buffers the coastline from Florida's capital city, Tallahassee, which is a little more than 20 miles from the Gulf Coast.

Several coastal counties have ordered evacuations as storm surge was a threat from southwest Florida up to the Panhandle including up to 15 feet in the Big Bend, up to 8 feet in Tampa Bay and 5

The track forecast from the hurricane center shows the center of what could be Hurricane Helene approaching the Florida coast on Thursday. Areas from the Panhandle to the western peninsula appeared to be most at risk. Tropical storm and surge watches were issued for part of the southern Florida peninsula late Monday.

Florida is bracing for what could be the United States’ heaviest-hitting hurricane so far this season, as an area of thunderstorms builds strength in the Caribbean Sea before potentially bringing life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds to the Southeast later this week.