ABOVE: Watch continuous live coverage of Helene from our sister station in FloridaAn enormous Hurricane Helene swamped parts of Mexico on Wednesday as it churned on a path forecasters said would take it to Florida as a major storm with a surge that could swallow entire homes, a chilling warning that sent residents scrambling for higher ground, closed schools, and led to states of emergency throughout the Southeast.Helene’s center was about 460 miles (735 kilometers) southwest of Tampa, Florida, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said, and the hurricane was expected to intensify and grow as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico.”Just hope and pray that everybody’s safe,” said Connie Dillard, of Tallahassee, as she shopped at a grocery store with thinning shelves of water and bread in preparation for hitting the highway out of town. “That’s all you can do.”The hurricane ranks in the 90th percentile for its sheer size, …