Weather experts and government officials advise Georgia residents to prepare before Helene makes landfall Thursday evening, expected to be a Category 3 hurricane when it reaches land. Preparation is essential to minimizing the impact of severe weather, officials say. Government officials say the following items are important to have handy:

Tropical Storm Helene was rapidly strengthening in the Caribbean Sea and expected to become a hurricane Wednesday while moving north along Mexico’s coast toward the U.S., prompting residents to evacuate,

The Gulf Coast is preparing for a potentially significant hurricane landfall in the coming days. Let's take a look at how this will affect Georgia.