Hurricane Helene downgraded to tropical storm as it batters Atlantic coast

Hurricane Helene was downgraded to a tropical storm on Friday morning after making landfall on Florida as a Category 4 hurricane on Thursday night in the Big Bend region of Florida. The storm left a wake of destruction along Florida’s Gulf Coast late Thursday night.

Multiple cities reported severe flooding due to the storm, and videos posted on social media showed houses floating away due to storm surge flooding. Surges were reported to rise as high as 9 feet in some areas. Nearly a million people were reported to have lost power in Florida because of Helene.

By Friday morning, the storm had weakened to a Category 1 hurricane and entered Georgia. Videos posted to social media as the storm hit Georgia showed strong wind gusts estimated to be around 60 mph, heavy rain, and transformers blowing out in and around Savannah.

After weakening to a tropical storm, Helene’s effects were reportedly felt in North Carolina and South Carolina shortly after 4 a.m.

“At 409 AM, emergency management reported numerous road closures, ongoing water rescues, and flooded homes across Haywood County,” WLOS, an ABC affiliate in Asheville, North Carolina, posted on X.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported high tide levels and tornado warnings in Charleston, South Carolina, after 5 a.m.

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The NOAA also issued tornado warnings for areas in eastern Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Tropical Storm Helene’s impact could extend as far inland to the southern Appalachian region, according to the Weather Channel . Rainfall from the storm could cause “catastrophic flooding” in this area.