TIFTON — As Helene makes its way to land and looks to continue intensifying, Tift County residents have been encouraged to stay safe and prepare for incredibly severe weather.

Hurricane Helene has been steadily strengthening as it approaches the Florida Gulf Coast, and is currently expected to make landfall Thursday.

Tift, like many counties in the region, has been placed under a hurricane warning by the U.S. National Weather Service, who anticipate the area could receive 74- to 110-mile-per-hour winds.

Echoing the recommendations of the state’s Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, Tift County’s Emergency Management Agency urges residents to store all outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans, and any other unsecured equipment or items inside, cover their windows with hurricane shutters or plywood, store valuables in a secure, waterproof location, particularly in a higher level of their home, and keep their cars fully fueled and electronics charged.

Additionally, residents have been prompted to prepare an evacuation plan and supply kit in the event the weather becomes too dangerous to wait out.

More information will be provided as updates on the storm are announced.