Officials have ordered all tourists to leave as well as all RVs. Mandatory evacuations also are in place for residents in Highland View, Wind Mark, St. Joe Beach, Beacon Hill to the county line and for the City of Port St. Joe for everyone from St. Joseph Bay to North Garrison Avenue and everyone from the bay to Garrison Avenue.

Evacuations are underway and time is running for Floridians to prepare for Helene, which threatens to hit as the strongest storm to make landfall in the United States in over a year.

Hurricane, tropical storm watches are in effect for parts of Florida as Tropical Storm Helene could hit state as major Categoy 3 hurricane.