Hours after Helene was upgraded to a tropical storm, the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency is expected to hold a news conference to discuss the state’s preparations.

The forecast refers to the potential for rapid intensification over the Gulf of Mexico, which is when a storm gains 35 mph or more in a 24-hour period.

Beryl formed a little over a week later, on June 28, and became the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record. It carved a path of destruction through the Caribbean before crossing into the Gulf of Mexico and hitting the Texas coast.