Northeast Florida started to feel the effects of powerful and wide Hurricane Helene on Thursday night as the Category 4 storm made its way closer to the Gulf Coast.

Hurricane Helene intensifies to a Category 2 storm, affecting Jacksonville and North Florida with increasing rain and winds.

Taylor County is under a mandatory evacuation as Hurricane Helene heads for landfall in the Big Bend.

As Helene approaches Florida, some are rushing to finish up outdoor projects before the storm arrives

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis shared storm recovery resources and flood insurance claims information ahead of Tropical Storm Helene, which is expected to hit the Florida Panhandle Thursday.

Forecasters have issued hurricane watches for parts of Cuba and Mexico as a cluster of storms located south of the Cayman Islands could strengthen in upcoming days as it moves north toward the U.S. The National Hurricane Center says the disturbance may become Hurricane Helene on Wednesday as it approaches the Gulf Coast.

A beautiful day locally, but the Gulf is heating up, and we've got a storm on the Horizon

A Florida Panhandle high school football player has died after collapsing during a game.

Tens of thousands of students have left Florida’s public schools in recent years amid an explosive growth in school choice.

Authorities say three Alabama men who went for an evening swim soon after arriving at a Florida Panhandle beach were caught in a rip current and died.

Beaches in Florida's Walton County have been temporarily closed to swimmers after two reported shark attacks.

Travelers are contenting with big crowds and flight delays on what is expected to be the busiest day of the Memorial Day weekend.

More than 15 million people from Texas to Florida are under threat of severe storms and the potential for more tornadoes.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday morning is set to hold a news conference at a charter school in the Florida Panhandle.

As Hurricane Idalia blew through the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday, the storm toppled a 100-year-old oak tree, according to Florida’s First Lady Casey DeSantis.

A man convicted of killing two women he met at beach bars in the Florida Panhandle in 1996 is set to be executed.

Residents of the Texas Panhandle town of Perryton are digging out of the rubble after a deadly tornado struck the town, shredding mobile homes and ripping apart brick buildings along main street.

A private crew is back on Earth after a nine-day trip to the International Space Station.

A 9-mile stretch of Florida sugar-white sand in an unspoiled natural setting alongside the Gulf of Mexico is the nation’s best beach for 2023.

Florida has executed a man convicted of breaking into a woman's home and stabbing her to death in 1986.

A man convicted of breaking into a woman’s Florida Panhandle apartment and fatally stabbing her 37 times in 1986 is set to be executed next month.

A 16-year-old girl in the Florida Panhandle was killed when a tree fell on the vehicle she was in during a fierce storm that saw wind speeds reach 80 miles per hour.

A sheriff’s deputy in the Florida Panhandle was fatally shot Christmas Eve during a standoff with a suspect who was being served a warrant.

Tropical Storm Nicole has weakened to a tropical depression as it crosses the Florida Panhandle on its way north into Georgia.

Southwest Florida is getting some advice from the Florida Panhandle as it moves ahead after Hurricane Ian.

When a tropical storm or hurricane affects Florida, boat owners and operators have to worry about more than just their homes and families.

An adult female loggerhead sea turtle is set to be released back into the Gulf of Mexico after being in rehabilitation at the Gulf World Marine Institute (GWMI) for almost three months. That’s in the Florida Panhandle.

Officials say two people were killed and a third was injured when a small plane crashed near a Florida Panhandle airport.

Severe storms packing isolated tornadoes and high winds are racing across the Deep South _ killing two in the Florida Panhandle and leaving scattered damage to buildings and homes in their path.

Our Weather Authority Alert Day began about 11 a.m. and will continue until the Storm Prediction Center ends the expected tornado watch, likely around 8 p.m.

Officials say veterans forced to evacuate a nursing home by a Florida Panhandle wildfire have been allowed to return home.

Snow way! It snowed Monday morning in Florida!

A car driving in the wrong direction in the Florida Panhandle hit another vehicle, causing it to go up in flames and killing four people, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Rain is pouring down on southeast Georgia and coastal South Carolina as Mindy, now a tropical depression, makes its way across the state.

Mindy never had the chance to really organize, and arguably was caught up in a very diffluent upper-level wind pattern, which allowed for her brief existence.

Tropical Storm Mindy formed Wednesday evening in the Gulf of Mexico, prompting forecasters to issue a tropical storm warning for part of the Florida Panhandle.

Tropical Storm Mindy formed Wednesday in the northeast Gulf of Mexico, prompting forecasters to issue a tropical storm warning for part of the Florida Panhandle.

Tropical Storm Mindy formed Wednesday in the northeast Gulf of Mexico, prompting forecasters to issue a tropical storm warning for part of the Florida Panhandle.

A swath of the Florida Panhandle was under a tropical storm warning after Tropical Storm Mindy made landfall Wednesday night.

The National Hurricane Center said Fred has regained tropical storm status in the Gulf of Mexico as parts of the Caribbean are gearing up for impacts from Tropical Storm Grace.

The first of three tropical systems currently being monitoring in the Atlantic basin came ashore in the Florida Panhandle about 3:15 p.m. Monday.

The National Hurricane Center said Fred has regained tropical storm status in the Gulf of Mexico as parts of the Caribbean began seeing impacts from tropical depression Grace.

Authorities have recovered the body of a 6-year-old boy believed to have drowned during a family vacation in Florida.

Severe storms have been widespread the past few days throughout the South. Tornadoes, severe hail, damaging storm winds and heavy rainfall have been spreading ever closer towards Jacksonville. The good news? These heavier/severe storms are likely to fade before reaching Jacksonville.

SpaceX has delivered four astronauts back to Earth, making the first U.S. crew splashdown in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot.

At 6 years old and 225 pounds, a Florida Panhandle family's dog, Atlas, is on track to becoming certified as the tallest living dog in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Hurricane Zeta passed through Wednesday with a tidal surge that caused the boat to become unmoored. In Atlanta and New Orleans, drivers dodged trees in roads and navigated intersections without traffic signals. John Bel Edwards said the state sustained “catastrophic” damage on Grand Isle in Jefferson Parish, where Zeta punched three breaches in the levee. Edwards ordered the Louisiana National Guard to fly in soldiers to assist with search and rescue efforts and urged continued caution. Zeta was the 27th named storm of a historically busy year with more than a month left in the Atlantic hurricane season.

The center of Hurricane Delta was located near latitude 24.8 North, longitude 93.4 West. Delta is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some weakening is possible as Delta approaches the northern Gulf coast on Friday, with rapid weakening expected after the center moves inland. Within minutes of the National Hurricane Center upgrading Delta to a Category 3 hurricane Tuesday morning, data from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicated that sustained winds had increased to 130 mph. Residents in these areas should ensure they have their hurricane plan in place and monitor updates to the forecast of Delta,” the Hurricane Center said.

MIAMI – Faced with a state ultimatum, the Miami-Dade school board agreed unanimously to reopen schools for classroom instruction next week despite looming fears that they're unprepared to prevent another spike in coronavirus infections. It was either share classroom air again or lose millions in state funding by scratching a reopening plan approved by Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran. He ordered the board in a letter last week to follow through on Monday, and said the state would allow only case-by-case exceptions for certain schools. Ron DeSantis have pushed for classroom instruction to begin again. In Miami-Dade, where schools have struggled to successfully implement remote instruction this school year, no school has more than four infections, the numbers show.

The National Hurricane Center wasted no time moving onto the Greek alphabet -- only the second time since the 1950s. The only time the hurricane center dipped into the Greek alphabet was the deadly 2005 hurricane season, which included Hurricane Katrina’s strike on New Orleans. Tropical Storm Beta will meander along the Texas coastline over the next 5 days. pic.twitter.com/YsrpliN9fF — National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 18, 2020What’s Next? The supercharged Atlantic hurricane season has produced so many named storms that scientists ran out of traditional names as Tropical Storm Wilfred developed in the eastern Atlantic.

Elaine and Jack Hulgan pose for a portrait after riding out the hurricane in their attic, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020, in Cantonment, Fla. Rivers swollen by Hurricane Sally's rains threatened more misery for parts of the Florida Panhandle and south Alabama on Thursday, as the storm's remnants continued to dump heavy rains inland that spread the threat of flooding to Georgia and the Carolinas. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)CANTONMENT, Fla. – The firetrucks and rescue vehicles kept passing her house even after Elaine Hulgan, 76, wrote “IN ATTIC HELP” on the front door. The Florida couple was trapped in their home after Hurricane Sally lumbered ashore Wednesday morning near Gulf Shores, Alabama, with 105 mph (165 kph) winds. “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” Elaine Hulgan said. “When they kept going by and not seeing us, I told Jack, ‘Jack, are the four of us going to die in this house?’” Elaine said. Elaine Hulgan said they’re not sure where they might live while their home is being repaired, but they’re also thankful to be alive.

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)PENSACOLA, Fla. – Rescuers on the Gulf Coast used boats and high-water vehicles Thursday to reach people cut off by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Sally, even as a second round of flooding took shape along rivers and creeks swollen by the storm’s heavy rains. Crews carried out at least 400 rescues in Escambia County, Florida, by such means as high-water vehicles, boats and water scooters, authorities said. Also on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said a new tropical depression formed in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. Forecasters said the depression could become a tropical storm as it moves slowly over the western Gulf during the next few days. Meanwhile, Hurricane Teddy strengthened to a powerful Category 4 storm in the Atlantic.

___MIAMI — A new tropical depression has formed in the Gulf just hours after Hurricane Sally left. There was no threat to land as of Thursday night, but the center says the depression could become a tropical storm on Friday. ___PENSACOLA, Fla. — Although once-powerful Hurricane Sally is no longer a serious storm, flooding is still a problem along rivers and creeks swollen by its heavy rains. ___PENSACOLA, Fla. — Rescuers on the Gulf Coast are using high-water vehicles to reach people cut off by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Sally. ___MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Though Hurricane Sally has passed, officials in Alabama and Florida are warning that the disaster isn't over yet.

A curfew was called in the coastal Alabama city of Gulf Shores due to life-threatening conditions. The county includes Pensacola, one of the largest cities on the Gulf Coast. Landfall was expected on the northern Gulf Coast early Wednesday. Although the hurricane had the Alabama and Florida coasts in its sights Wednesday, its effects were felt all along the northern Gulf Coast. With Hurricane Sally expected to dump rain for days, the problem could be worse than normal, she said.

Waters from the Guld of Mexico poor onto a local road, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, in Waveland, Miss. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbrt)Here are the latest developments on tropical weather (all times local):___The Florida Panhandle is being pummeled by heavy rains from Hurricane Sally’s outer bands. The powerful, plodding storm was crawling toward the northern Gulf Coast at 3 mph (4.8 kph) early Tuesday. Florida’s governor declared an emergency in two western Panhandle counties. President Donald Trump issued an emergency declaration for Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – With storm warnings issued that include Florida’s Panhandle, the Atlantic storm season is a Wilfred away from going Greek. Hurricane Sally was threatening the Gulf Coast on Monday, with a hurricane warning in effect from Morgan City, Louisiana, to Navarre, Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center. A tropical storm warning was in effect from Navarre in Santa Rosa County to Indian Pass in Gulf County. Meanwhile, the hurricane center on Monday was tracking four other named storms in the Atlantic Ocean — Paulette, Rene, Teddy and Vicky. That has only occurred once before, in 2005, when there were 27 named storms.

Astronauts returning in the early 1970s from Skylab, NASAs first space station, did not feel well following splashdown, Hurley noted. Feeling sick is the way it is with a water landing, he said during the crews final news conference from the International Space Station. The capsule has been docked at the space station since May 31, allowing Hurley and Behnken to chip in with spacewalks and experiments. The plan is for the Dragon to undock from the space station on Saturday, a day before splashdown. We wont leave the space station without some good landing opportunities in front of us, good splashdown weather, Behnken told reporters.

The Florida Building Commission considers updates to the statewide building code every three years. A new statewide building code is expected to be finalized by December 2020, Campbell said. The Florida Legislature authorized the initial statewide building code in 2000. South Florida has the toughest wind resistance requirements; the building code requires that buildings be able to withstand 175 mph winds. The discussion about changes in the building code came just days after the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Michael, which caused massive damage in Northwest Florida.

It's been one year since Hurricane Michael hit the Florida Panhandle. WATCH: Panama City 1 year after Hurricane Michael |Mexico Beach 1 year after Michael |Tyndall Air Force Base 1 year after hurricanePanama CityIt took 12 months, but homeowner Barry Lawley has finally reached an important milestone in moving forward after Hurricane Michael. Patronis says there have been roughly 147,000 insurance claims related to Hurricane Michael, totaling nearly $7 billion in insured losses. Mexico BeachImages taken from the ground and from the air showed Mexico Beach was absolutely devastated by Hurricane Michael. Tyndall Air Force BaseThe eye of Hurricane Michael went right through Tyndall Air Force Base, causing billions of dollars in damage.

It's been one year since Hurricane Michael hit the Florida Panhandle. It made landfall on Oct. 10, 2018, as a Category 5 storm -- blamed for 49 deaths in Florida with estimated insured losses now... Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.

The First Presbyterian Church was damaged by Hurricane Michael on October 13, 2018 in Blountstown, Florida. The Capitol News Service revisited the small city of Blountstown to speak with residents and city officials about how recovery has progressed. Business owners Edwin and Lynn Strawn rode out the hurricane in their home. "Everybody in this community helped everybody in this community," Lynn Strawn said. "You can drive anywhere and see blue tarps, tarps that are coming off of houses, houses that have not been repaired," Lynn Strawn said.

This was a big story of the day for a brief period of time, said Ron Sachs, CEO of Tallahassee-based Sachs Media Group who helped organize Rebuild 850. Rebuild 850 leaders said Thursday they appreciated Grahams work, but they dont want her exit to be a distraction. This is not a partisan organization, said Rebuild 850 Co-Chairman Will Weatherford, a former Republican House speaker from Wesley Chapel. Sachs said he had discussed with Graham in August her use of Twitter and the intent of Rebuild 850 to be non-partisan. Anyone wishing to make a donation to Rebuild 850 can do so at Rebuild850.org.

Next week marks one year since Hurricane Micheal made landfall in the Florida Panhandle as a Category 5 storm. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. - Deputies and their K-9 partners are credited with rescuing a boy with autism who went missing in the Florida Panhandle over the weekend. The 3-year-old child somehow got lost Sunday in the woods in Santa Rosa County, County Commissioner Sam Parker wrote on Facebook. But deputies' bloodhounds were able to track him down. Great job Santa Rosa County Sheriffs Office! Parker wrote in the post that has since gone viral, piling up 20,000 reactions, 1,500 comments and 12,000 shares. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.

NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla. - A new hurricane-resistant construction technology called Insulated Concrete Form, or ICF, is catching on in Northeast Florida. After Hurricane Michael hit the Florida Panhandle in October, an image showed one house that was left standing on Mexico Beach. Mark Mantarro rode out Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and decided to build his Neptune Beach home with ICF five years ago. ICF adds about 30% to the cost of construction, but Mantarro believes it is worth it. You should put some thought into it, said Johnson, who is currently building Tony Wandersons house on Ponte Vedra Beach.

(CNN) - In regions of the United States and Mexico that are prone to hurricanes, aggressive spiders are evolving to survive and ride out the storm. Researchers looked at Anelosimus studiosus spiders that live in storm-prone areas along the coast to see how they changed. They don't offer much lead time, so the researchers had to scramble to study the spider colonies before and after projected storms. The team monitored Subtropical Storm Alberto and hurricanes Florence and Michael during the 2018 hurricane season. They tried to anticipate the systems' trajectories and study areas that included 240 female spider colonies, comparing them with areas where spider colonies were unaffected by such storms.

PENSACOLA, Fla. - The U.S. Navy says two Blue Angels jets touched midair during a practice run in the Florida Panhandle. Navy spokeswoman Lt. Michelle Tucker tells the Pensacola News Journal a jet made momentary contact with the underside of a second jet's outer wing Wednesday as the pilots practiced over the Naval Air Station Pensacola. The incident won't affect the team's performance in a Chicago air show over the weekend. But the two jets involved in the incident have been swapped out and won't fly in Chicago. However Tucker says the pilots of those jets will fly in the air show.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Two Florida State University professors have received funding to examine how Hurricane Michael impacted birth outcomes in the Florida Panhandle as a result of infrastructure damage and exposure to carbon monoxide. The study will investigate exposure to carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas that during pregnancy has been associated with fetal deaths and other neurological complications. It will also explore health-care access after the storm and birth outcomes in areas that were impacted by Michael. A variety of factors, stress related to the mental problems from coping with a severe disaster and decreased access to healthcare," Uejio said. The goal of the research is to show the importance of getting health care facilities back up and running after disasters along with thinking more about generator safety and helping people understand the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.

A building at the Bay Medical Center Sacred Heart hospital stands damaged from Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. The devastation inflicted by Hurricane Michael came into focus Thursday with rows upon rows ofTALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Two Florida State University professors have received $400,000 to examine how Hurricane Michael impacted birth outcomes in the Florida Panhandle as a result of infrastructure damage and exposure to carbon monoxide. "Disasters like Hurricane Michael have severe and long-lasting impacts on our communities. Tulane University researchers Emily Harville, the principal investigator, and Maureen Lichtveld will partner in the research, according to the release. It will also explore health-care access after the storm and birth outcomes in areas that were impacted by Michael.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A low-pressure system that moved into the Gulf of Mexico late Tuesday was upgraded this morning to a potential tropical cyclone. The National Hurricane Center expects the system, located about 155 miles east southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River at 2 p.m. Wednesday, to strengthen into a tropical storm by Thursday. The five-day NHC forecast calls for this system to be a tropical storm by Thursday afternoon and a Category 1 hurricane by Saturday morning as it nears the western Louisiana coast. This system has the potential to produce heavy rainfall along portions of the northern and eastern U.S. Gulf Coast later this week. Interests along the Gulf Coast from the Upper Texas coast to the western Florida peninsula should monitor the progress of this system.

2005: Hurricane Katrina makes landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in southeast Louisiana. Katrina would go on to devastate much of the U.S. Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, killing more than 1,836 and causing more than $80 billion in damage. The most significant number of deaths occurred in New Orleans, which flooded after the city's levee system catastrophically failed, in many cases hours after the storm had moved inland. Hide Caption