Helene intensifies into Category 2 hurricane, projected to make landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast

Hurricane Helene was upgraded Thursday morning to a Category 2 storm as it churns north in the Gulf of Mexico with a projected landfall of Florida's Gulf Coast

The storm is expected to further intensify and make landfall this evening near the city of Tallahassee. 

"This is going be a major hurricane," Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a press conference Thursday morning. "This is a very large storm."

He also said the storm has the potential to become a Category 4 storm. 

The storm now has sustained winds of 100 mph. At about 8 a.m., the storm was 320 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida and moving 12 mph to the north-northeast, according to the National Hurricane Center. 

After landfall, Helene is expected to continue north and slow down over the Tennessee Valley on Friday and Saturday, according to the Miami Herald.

Storm surges warning are in effect for almost of Florida's west coast, and a state of emergency has been declared in 61 of Florida's 67 counties with several under evacuation orders.