Millions of people living on the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Florida are being urged to prepare as Invest 97L continues to become better organized and will likely become Tropical Storm or Hurricane Helene as the system enters the Gulf of Mexico in the coming days.

The area, designated on Sunday as Invest 97L, is continuing to organize in the Caribbean, according to the National Hurricane Center. A tropical depression or tropical storm is expected to form in the next couple of days as the system moves across the northwestern Caribbean into the Gulf of Mexico.

Florida Panhandle residents should be getting their hurricane preparations in order as meteorologists expect a strong Hurricane Helene.

The National Hurricane Center gives Invest 97L an 80 percent chance of development in the next 7 days; it could impact Florida.

The NHC's experimental forecast cone for Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine has shifted slightly more toward Florida's Big Bend area. The storm is still expected to become Hurricane Helene by Wednesday and a major hurricane when it makes landfall Thursday.

This disturbance is being closely monitored for further development with the potential of becoming a named system within the next 48 hours.