Storm Hermine strengthens into a Category 1 hurricane

The National Hurricane Center announced Thursday afternoon that Tropical Storm Hermine is now Hurricane Hermine. The storm, now classified as a Category 1 hurricane as it continues to brew in the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to make landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast late Thursday or early Friday. Hermine is expected to bring winds of up to 75 mph and heavy rains throughout Florida, in the Carolinas, and in Georgia.
Hermine would be the first hurricane to hit Florida since Wilma in 2005. Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) has already issued a state of emergency across 51 counties, to last through Saturday.
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