Hurricane Helene, now classified as an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm, is racing across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida, posing a severe threat of "catastrophic" storm surges in the state's northwestern region. The storm is expected to bring destructive winds, heavy rains, and flash flooding to a vast portion of the southeastern U.S., with landfall anticipated by Thursday evening, according to forecasters.
States of emergency have been declared in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Alabama in preparation for the storm.

Pacific Storms and Tropical Threats
On the Pacific side, former Hurricane John regained strength and became a hurricane once again, threatening Mexico’s western coast with potential flash flooding and mudslides.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Isaac formed in the Atlantic on Wednesday. The storm is expected to strengthen and could become a hurricane by the weekend. As of Wednesday, Isaac was positioned about 690 miles (1,115 kilometers) northeast of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph). The storm was moving eastward at approximately 12 mph (19 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Power Outages and Storm Warnings in Florida
As of 7:30 p.m. local time, over 340,000 homes and businesses in Florida were without power due to Hurricane Helene. Duke Power, a major utility provider, reported that around 120,000 customers were affected, with 105,000 of those concentrated in the Tampa area along the Gulf Coast.

Although Tampa is located south of where Helene is expected to make landfall, the region remains under storm surge and tropical storm warnings. Forecasters predict surges as high as 15 feet (4.5 meters) and winds reaching up to 40 mph (64 kph).

Early Impact in Georgia
In Valdosta, Georgia, near the Florida border, heavy rains and strong winds began to intensify around 7 p.m. ET, signaling the storm's growing presence in the region.

With the storm bearing down, residents across the southeast are bracing for significant impacts in the coming hours.