Tropical Storm Helene formed on Tuesday and is forecast intensify into a major hurricane before making landfall on Florida’s Gulf coast by Thursday afternoon. Here’s the latest

Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for more than half of the state. A system moving toward the Gulf of Mexico is expected to become Hurricane Helene.

A day after Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 41 counties, he added 20 more on Tuesday, warning nearly the entire state to prepare for Tropical Storm Helene. The National Hurricane Center upgraded Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine to tropical storm status at 11 a.