The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is closed due to high wind as Hurricane Helene impacts the Tampa Bay area. At 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, the Florida Highway Patrol said wind gusts had reached 60 miles per hour at the Skyway and closed the bridge to traffic. Authorities usually shut down the four-mile bridge when wind speeds hit 40 mph.

Port Tampa Bay's shipping channels closed Wednesday evening ahead of Hurricane Helene, which is expected to bring impacts to the Tampa Bay area.

Inbound and outbound vessel traffic to Port Tampa Bay has ceased in preparation for Hurricane Helene, officials said in a news release. At 8 p.m. on Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard reportedly said the possibility of heavy winds could impact the port's operations within the next 12 hours,