Helene is expected to make landfall on Florida's Big Bend this evening as a major category 4 hurricane, bringing the risk of catastrophic damage.

Helene -- which has strengthened to a major Category 3 hurricane -- is taking aim at Florida, where it's forecast to make landfall along the Big Bend area on Thursday night. Latest DevelopmentsSep 26,

Hurricane Helene is rapidly "accelerating" toward Florida's Panhandle, according to a 4 p.m. ET update from the National Hurricane Center. Tropical storm conditions were recorded "across most of the West Coast of Florida," meteorologists said.