"Treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to the safe room in your shelter. Take action now to protect your life," the National Weather Service said.Start the day smarter.

Hurricane Helene is expected to bring devastating winds and storm surge to Florida. See maps of the projected path.

The National Hurricane Center is forecasting that a major hurricane will make landfall along the Florida Gulf coast on Thursday. The storm, which is still taking shape and will be named Helene, could become the strongest hurricane to hit the United States this season.