Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater are outside the forecast cone for Hurricane Helene, but the region will experience hurricane-force winds and high storm surges. Here’s the latest forecast

A state of emergency has been declared in Florida where evacuations are underway along the Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Helene is expected to become a major hurricane before it makes landfall. Residents in the storm's potential path have been told to prepare for up to a week without electricity.

Forecasters say they expect Tropical Storm Helene in the Caribbean Sea to strengthen rapidly and become a hurricane as it moves north across the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday toward the U.S. The National Hurricane Center has issued hurricane warnings for northwestern Florida's coastline and part of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.