Hurricane Helene is making eight knots towards the Gulf Coast of Florida, transiting over warm water in conditions that are "very conducive" for strengthening, according to the National Hurricane Center. 

As of Wednesday night, the storm's winds averaged about 75 knots, but Helene is expected to undergo rapid intensification before making landfall. It will be crossing the Loop Current in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, an area with especially high heat content, NHC said, and vertical wind shear is relatively low. This should be enough to propel Helene to Category 4 status by Thursday morning.  

The storm is on track to make landfall as a major hurricane in Florida's isolated Big Bend region on Thursday evening. The area is lightly populated, but the storm is wide and the effects will be pronounced even outside of the forecast cone for the eye. The storm surge could reach an "unsurvivable" 20 feet above sea level in some parts of the Big Bend area, with lesser but still life-threatening water levels to the east and south. Tampa Bay could see storm surge levels of five to eight feet, and officials are taking measures to protect critical infrastructure from flooding.

Florida Gov. Ron Desantis has declared a state of emergency for 61 out of 67 counties in Florida, and mandatory evacuation orders are in place for more than a dozen counties along the state's Gulf Coast. FEMA has preapproved a disaster declaration request covering most of the region. 

Port operations in the region have shut down ahead of storm-force winds. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg has declared port condition Zulu in advance of the storm, closing Port Manatee, Port Tampa Bay, Sarasota and St. Petersburg. To the west, at the far end of the Florida Panhandle, the ports of Panama City and Port St. Joe are also shut down. For emergency response purposes, the Seventh Coast Guard District has established a command post at Coast Guard Air Station Miami, well out of the storm's path. 

The cruise industry is well accustomed to disruption from hurricanes, and the major cruise lines have already begun diverting ships to stay well clear of the storm's path. MSC Seascape, Carnival Paradise, Carnival Valor, Wonder of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas have had itineraries changed to account for the storm.