Waves crash against a building ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Helene in Cedar Key, Florida, on September 26, 2024. Parts of Florida face "unsurvivable" conditions when Hurricane Helene hits later Thursday, the US weather service said, warning that howling wind will drive destructive waves and storm surge as high as 20 feet (six meters) onto the low-lying coast. Residents heeded mass evacuation orders and fled ahead of the incoming hurricane -- projected to be one of the largest Gulf of Mexico storms in decades. (Photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP)