Live coverage from Orlando: Helene makes landfall in Big Bend area as Category 4 hurricane

ORLANDO – Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 140 mph, made landfall Thursday evening in the Florida Big Bend area, bringing life-threatening conditions.

According to the National Hurricane Center, the major hurricane made landfall near Perry, east of Tallahassee, at about 11:10 p.m. EDT.

The agency said the “extremely dangerous” storm could have a “catastrophic” storm surge as high as 20 feet near the immediate coast and the eye.

Due to the storm’s fast movement, it is expected to bring hurricane- and tropical-storm-force winds well inland. On Friday, the potential for flooding and isolated tornadoes will cover a large swath of the Southeast.

The remnants of Helene will bring rain showers into Michigan through the weekend, and a chance of a few showers at the start of the workweek.

Watch NBC News’ live coverage below:

The National Hurricane Center announced at 6:20 p.m. Thursday that Helene’s maximum sustained winds have increased to near 130 mph, pushing the storm into the Category 4 range.

Helene is expected to continue strengthening before it makes landfall.

The hurricane is moving across the Gulf of Mexico, and experts said there could be a “catastrophic” storm surge in the northwestern parts of Florida.

Damaging winds, rain, and flash floods are possible hundreds of miles inland.