As Hurricane Helene approaches Florida photos show storm's initial impact

Hurricane Helene has yet to make landfall, but multiple communities in Florida have already been impacted by the storm.

The storm was expected to bring devastation to the region overnight, leaving thousands of residents to contend with flooding, overturned trees, and power loss.

Hurricane Helene was expected to become more intense Thursday, with AccuWeather forecasters predicting that the storm would be classified as a Category 4 by the time it makes landfall.

More than 70,000 people across four Florida counties, including Franklin, Taylor, Liberty and Wakulla, were ordered to evacuate on Thursday. Hurricane Helene's impact will be deadly, especially for those who live along coastal or low-lying areas.

After the storm makes landfall, expected in the state's Big Bend region on Thursday night, Helene is forecast to gravitate toward the Tennessee Valley.

Dan DePodwin, senior director of forecasting operations at AccuWeather, told USA TODAY, that Helene, a "very dangerous" hurricane, had the potential to become a "once-in-a-generation storm."

Photos: Hurricane Helene leaves imprint in Florida

Photos taken across Florida show the early effects of Hurricane Helene in Florida, including floods, the destruction of power lines and severe winds.

Residents across Florida have "hunkered down" or evacuated, depending on where they are located. Schools, local businesses, and airports have closed as a result of Hurricane Helene, USA TODAY reported.

Hurricane Helene tracker

Hurricane Helene spaghetti models

Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.

This story was updated to add more photographs.

Contributing: Anthony Robledo, Gabe Hauari and Dinah Voyles Pulver

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: As Hurricane Helene approaches Florida photos show storm's initial impact