A potential hurricane named Helene is brewing in the Caribbean and is expected to hit Florida on Thursday.
According to ABC News, the system is forecast to become Tropical Storm Helene early Tuesday morning.
The storm is forecasted to continue strengthening to a Category 2 or Category 3 hurricane before making landfall along the Florida Panhandle or Florida's Big Bend area on Thursday night.
It will then move into the Gulf of Mexico and strengthen to a hurricane on Wednesday morning.
Hurricane watches were issued in Tulum, Mexico; Cancun, Mexico; and Cuba, according to the news report.
Flash flooding, strong winds, and storm surge are the primary concerns.
The Tampa, Florida, area and the Florida Panhandle are expected to get the worst of the storm surge, according to the news report.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he's declared a state of emergency in 41 counties.
He said, "Now is the time to make an emergency plan, know your evacuation zone, and be as prepared as possible for the storm."
After landfall, Helene's heavy rain and flash flooding may move inland to Tallahassee, Florida; Atlanta; and Nashville, Tennessee.
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What's going on in the Lehigh Valley