Damage assessments and rescue operations are underway as the brunt of the storm hit the state’s Big Bend, also the landing site for Hurricane Idalia just over a year ago.

The Florida Big Bend, a particular slice of the state’s northwestern coast where Florida’s panhandle region begins to curve around the Gulf of Mexico and transition into the state’s distinct peninsula, was already being hit with Helene’s “outer rainbands” early Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Hurricane Helene has been upgraded to a category three storm, with wind speeds of up to 120mph (195 km/h) forecast The dangerous storm is expected to make landfall in the Florida Big Bend on Thursday Authorities warn it could bring a "catastrophic" and "unsurvivable" storm surge,