Hurricane Helene, a massive, destructive Category 4 hurricane causing catastrophic storm surge, made landfall about 11:10 p.m. Thursday in Florida’s Big Bend, the National Hurricane Center

The surge could be 15 to 20 feet higher than normal tide levels, flooding dozens of communities along the Gulf Coast.

Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday night in northwestern Florida as a Category 4 storm as forecasters warned that the enormous system could create a “nightmare” storm surge and bring dangerous winds and rain across much of the southeastern U.