Hurricane Helene threatens ‘unsurvivable’ storm surge in Florida as it’s forecast to explode into catastrophic Category 4

(CNN) — Hurricane Helene is now forecast to reach catastrophic Category 4 strength by the time it makes landfall in Florida on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center says, with storm surge potentially climbing to 20 feet along some parts of the coast.Helene could be the strongest hurricane to hit the United States in over a year – and time is running out for those in its path to prepare.“A catastrophic and deadly storm surge is likely along portions of the Florida Big Bend coast, where inundation could reach as high as 20 feet above ground level, along with destructive waves,” the center warned. “Preparations to protect life and property should be completed by early Thursday before tropical storm conditions arrive.”Helene rapidly intensified into a hurricane Wednesday and will continue strengthening as it crosses over the record-warm water of the Gulf of Mexico. Rapidly intensifying storms like Helene are becoming more frequent in a world warming due to fossil fuel pollution.As of 5 a.m. Thursday, Helene had maximum sustained winds of 90 mph, and it was moving to the northeast at 12 mph, the hurricane center said.Wind speeds in the storm are expected to reach at least 130 mph by Thursday...