Tropical Storm Helene is expected to reach peak intensity and make landfall along the Gulf Coast of Florida as a major hurricane late Thursday.

Much of the state is under a state of emergency as the U.S. National Hurricane Center warns the storm’s dangerous winds could bring life-threatening storm surge as high as 4.5 meters (15 feet) in the Big Bend, Apalachee Bay and Nature Coast of Florida areas.

Significant storm surge flooding is also expected in the Tampa-St. Pete-Sarasota metro areas.

Al Jazeera.