Much of the Gulf Coast of Florida was placed under hurricane, storm surge and tropical storm watches ahead of an expected landfall Thursday.

Tropical Storm Helene formed Tuesday morning and will rapidly intensify into a major hurricane — Category 3 or higher — and bring catastrophic storm surge, flooding and destructive winds to

The forecast refers to the potential for rapid intensification over the Gulf of Mexico, which is when a storm gains 35 mph or more in a 24-hour period.