Helene was heading toward the island of Cozumel off Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula as of the National Hurricane Center's 10 p.m. CDT advisory, with sustained winds increasing to 60 mph. The storm is projected to dump heavy rain and trigger possible mudslides across western Cuba while passing between the island and the Yucatan on Tuesday night.

A state of emergency has been declared in Florida where evacuations are underway along the Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Helene is expected to become a major hurricane before it makes landfall. Residents in the storm's potential path have been told to prepare for up to a week without electricity.