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.

Meteorologists warned Tampa Bay residents that Helene's storm surge could reach 5 to 8 feet in flood-prone areas.

Helene will bring “catastrophic” storm surge and wind to the Big Bend region of Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center.