To aid our residents as the storm approaches, Alachua County has activated the 311 Emergency Information Line (352-264-6557 if 311 is unavailable in your area). This is for questions and rumor control.

With hurricane watches in effect, Florida opens sandbag stations, urging residents in flood prone areas to prepare as a potential major hurricane approaches.

Complete coverage of important local, regional, state and national news events that affect the Tampa area are provided by the News Channel 8 morning news team.

Multiple counties and cities across Central Florida are offering sandbags to residents in preparation for Tropical Storm Helene, which is forecast to become a hurricane.

Prefilled sandbags will be available in the Highlander Park parking lot, 903 Michigan Blvd., from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday until supplies last. Once the prefilled bags are gone, sand and bags will be available.

As things heat up in the tropics, governments in Central Florida are helping residents prepare for any potential impacts from a storm.

Helene is now a tropical storm, and it's expected to be a major hurricane when it impacts the Florida Gulf Coast this week. People in Tampa are racing to get ready, with huge lines of cars waiting for sandbags.

ORLANDO, Fl - A tropical system approaching the Gulf of Mexico is expected to quickly intensify and become a hurricane before possibly making landfall over Florida later this week. Gov. DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for more than 41 counties across the state ahead of the storm.