The hurricane track for potential Tropical Cyclone Nine includes Tennessee

A system that could develop into a major storm in the next 72 hours is gaining strength in the Caribbean and could move as far north as Tennessee, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm system, whose status was upgraded to “potential tropical cyclone 9” on Monday morning, will continue to brew over the Gulf of Mexico over the next few days and could make landfall somewhere along the Gulf Coast as early as Thursday as a potential Category 3 hurricane.

“Everyone along the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend region needs to be prepared for the impacts of a hurricane,” AccuWeather senior hurricane expert Alex DaSilva said Monday.

If the storm continues to grow, it would be the eighth storm of the year to bear the name Helene.