Duke Energy is asking its customers in South Carolina and North Carolina to get ready for Hurricane Helene. The storm, which became a hurricane on Wednesday, will impact the region late Thursday and into Friday,

Duke Energy Florida is readying 8,000 workers, and Duke Energy Carolinas said more than 10,000 workers will be prepped and staged before the storm hits.

With Hurricane Helene continuing to gain strength and speed in the Gulf of Mexico, Franklin County officials are encouraging residents to evacuate the county as a direct impact from the hurricane seems more and more likely.

Duke Energy is preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Helene – and is encouraging others to do the same. Duke Energy said it's closely monitoring the projected track of Helene, the latest tropical system developing in the Caribbean that's expected to impact North Carolina later this week.

As Hurricane Helene approaches Georgia, Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King is urging Georgians to take several precautions before the storm. “Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall along the Gulf Coast as a major hurricane and continue into Georgia with devastating wind speeds,