CNN
—

If you haven’t prepared yet, now is the time. Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast near Tallahassee Thursday evening and then turn north, sustaining hurricane and tropical storm force winds and heavy rainfall across northern Georgia and into Tennessee. Up to 7 inches of rain is expected in the Carolinas, the National Weather Service said Thursday.

About 40 million Americans in five states are living under immediate hurricane or tropical storm warnings, according to CNN Supervising Meteorologist Brandon Miller.

In most areas, the strongest storms will hit overnight. This requires special preparations.

“If someone goes to bed at nine or ten tonight, it might not seem so bad. It’s just a bit breezy, maybe 20 to 30 miles per hour wind and rain. But by 2 or 3 a.m., wind speeds will possibly be 50 to 60 miles per hour, and so you need to prepare for that before you go to sleep,” Miller said.

Miller recommends turning up the volume on your phone or watch so you can hear any emergency alerts. It’s also a good idea to make sure these devices are close to you and fully charged. Many areas are expected to lose power overnight, and high winds could prevent crews from beginning restoration work.

Heavy rain can saturate the ground and high winds can cause trees to fall. So, if possible, it’s a good idea to sleep in a part of your house that is free of tall trees.

“That’s something people can do: Choose a room in their home that is most protected from falling debris, and sleep there tonight,” Miller said. In the event that the storm produces tornadoes, which is likely, Miller recommends sleeping on the ground floor in an interior room, away from windows.

Here are some other things you can do now to prepare and protect your family: