Brevard County officials are urging residents to prepare for Tropical Storm Helene, which is expected to strengthen into a hurricane with winds reaching 115 mph by Thursday. In an online broadcast, Emergency Management Director John Scott and Sheriff Wayne Ivey spoke Tuesday of the importance of readiness, saying that for Brevard County, this is going to be a wind event and a rain event. Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 61 counties in Florida, including Brevard. While Helene will make landfall on the Gulf Coast, its impacts will be felt here on the east coast, with winds in some areas potentially reaching brief gusts of as much as 60 mph.