The eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season formed Tuesday morning. Helene is now rapidly strengthening in the Gulf of Mexico. The National Hurricane Center forecasts a Thursday night landfall in the Florida Panhandle as a strong category 3 hurricane, potentially Category 4. Landfall is expected near Tallahassee, Florida. After making landfall, the storm will move through Georgia overnight Thursday into Friday, potentially maintaining Tropical Storm force intensity as far north as Atlanta. READ MORE: https://www.wusa9.com/article/weather/weather-impact/hurricane-watch-florida-gulf-coast-panhandle-helene-tropical-storm-warning/65-13129fe3-509b-4974-ae16-67e6a306ca5a