As of Tuesday morning, the National Hurricane Center has issued a Hurricane Watch for the west coast of Florida, including Tampa through Tallahassee. While the Hurricane Watch has been posted before the storm has officially formed,

A hurricane watch and warnings of storm surges up to 15 feet high were issued Tuesday for almost all of Florida's western coastline as a potential tropical storm moves across the Caribbean Sea and towards the Gulf Coast.

Tropical Storm Helene is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane with 115-mph winds before landfall Thursday.