Hurricanes

Hurricane Helene to hit Florida, California fire crews deployed to help

NBC Universal, Inc.

As the enormous Hurricane Helene swamped parts of Mexico on Wednesday it churned on a path that's forecasted to hit Florida.

Many across the Southeast began looking for higher ground, and schools closed as a state of emergency was issued for the region.

According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, Helene's center was about 430 miles (735 kilometers) southwest of Tampa, Florida. The center is expected to strengthen as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico and has the potential to be a Category 4 storm with winds above 129 mph.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that the state had deployed a specialized team of firefighters to Florida to assist where needed. At least one of those firefighters is with the Contra Costa Fire Protection District.

Audrey Asistio has the full report in the video above.

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