### Hurricane Helene Expected to Hit Florida as Category 4

Hurricane Helene has intensified and is forecasted to make landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane tomorrow, prompting urgent warnings and safety preparations from the National Hurricane Center. The storm is anticipated to bring six to 12 inches of rain to parts of the southeastern United States, with some areas potentially experiencing up to 18 inches. Officials warn that this could lead to catastrophic and life-threatening flash and urban flooding.

In response to the impending storm, Hillsborough County has mandated the evacuation of all mobile and prefabricated homes, effective from 9 a.m. Wednesday. The Florida Division of Emergency Management reported that both mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders are in place for 13 counties. Among these, Charlotte, Franklin, Gulf, Manatee, Pinellas, and Wakulla counties have mandatory evacuation orders. Almost the entire state of Florida is currently under a state of emergency.

The Tampa International Airport is scheduled to close to the public at 2 a.m. Thursday due to Hurricane Helene, with plans to reopen once it is safe. Wednesday's flight schedule will operate as usual. Several airlines, including United Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and Frontier, have issued travel alerts and are allowing passengers to change their plans without incurring fees.

The National Hurricane Center has highlighted the severe danger of a catastrophic and deadly storm surge along parts of the Florida Big Bend coast. They urge that all preparations to protect life and property should be finalized by early Thursday.

Hurricane Helene is the eighth named storm of this Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to November 30. This follows the recent landfall of Hurricane Francine, a Category 2 storm, in Louisiana on September 11. While forecasters had predicted an especially active storm season with up to 25 named storms and 13 hurricanes, the season has not been as active as initially expected.