Here's the very latest on the danger Helene poses not only at the coast, but also well inland through the Southeast.

Forecasters say Helene has strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane — with sustained winds oer 130 mph — as it races toward northwest Florida. The enormous storm is expected to make landfall Thursday night.

The forecast refers to the potential for rapid intensification over the Gulf of Mexico, which is when a storm gains 35 mph or more in a 24-hour period.