New York, Sep 26 (IANS): Tropical storm Helene has become a Category 1 hurricane as it moved through the Gulf of Mexico, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

NHC forecasters predict the hurricane will pick up speed as it reaches the Florida Big Bend coast on Thursday evening, reports Xinhua news agency.

NHC advised people located in Florida's panhandle, including Tampa Bay, to take necessary precautions to "protect life and belongings" and follow evacuation protocol. The coastline cities may see up to eight feet of water, accompanied by destructive waves. AccuWeather believes Helene has the potential to reach Category 4 status.

Tampa International Airport (TIA) is suspending operations starting at 2:00 a.m. Thursday. Three nearby smaller airports, Peter O. Knight, Tampa Executive and Plant City, are following TIA's steps and closing on Thursday. Schools in the area are also cancelling classes and closing their campuses. The University of Florida expects to resume normal scheduling on Friday.

In Pinellas County, situated in an evacuation zone, ambulances have begun moving patients into safer areas. Kenneth Welch, the mayor of St. Petersburg, said in a press conference that the county has six emergency shelters for those in need. Residents are stocking up on necessities and getting to areas of higher ground and outside Helene's path. According to the 2023 Census, the county has around 960,000 residents.

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday declared an emergency in Florida and ordered federal assistance to supplement local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from tropical storm Helene beginning on Monday and continuing.