Hurricane Helene escalated to a dangerous Category 3 hurricane Thursday afternoon as it headed toward Florida’s Gulf Coast as a massive, powerful storm. It was expected within hours to drown some rural, coastal communities in northern areas with a towering surge of up to 20 feet of seawater, plus torrential rains and destructive winds.

The Gandy Bridge is closed due to Hurricane Helene, according to Florida Highway Patrol. Authorities say the bridge closes if wave action makes travel unsafe. The announcement comes after several other bridge closures on Thursday as Helene continues tracking toward the Big Bend region.