Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region at 11:10 p.m. Thursday, and it has left at least 28 people dead and 4 million without power across Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina.
The Category 4 hurricane is the largest hurricane on record to hit Florida’s Big Bend region, with flooding predicted to reach as far as the middle of Tennessee.
Hours after making landfall, Helene weakened to a tropical storm, with sustained winds falling to 70 mph. Helene caused at least 200 flash flooding warnings in Florida and in regions of South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Where Helene is headed now
The National Weather Service estimates Tropical Storm Helene to be moving with sustained winds at 45 mph just 105 miles northeast of Atlanta.
Flash flooding warnings remain in effect in Atlanta, Clemson, South Carolina, western North Carolina, and southwest Virginia, with evacuations put in place for Asheville and McDowell counties in North Carolina.
In southern North Carolina, the National Weather Service has warned residents of Rutherford County to evacuate because a failure of the Lake Lure dam is "imminent."
Helene could very likely cause historic river flooding in eastern Tennessee, with a flood warning in effect through Saturday for middle Tennessee.
The National Hurricane Center projects Helene could produce rain accumulations of six to 12 inches and up to 20 inches in some parts of the Southeast, leading to catastrophic flash and urban flooding.
Massive power outages across the South
Spanning from the northern part of Florida to southern Virginia, 4.4 million residents have lost power as of Friday morning. South Carolina has the highest number of power outages, at over 1.3 million. Georgia and Florida both have over a million, North Carolina has recorded over 800,000, and Virginia already has 100,000 detected. That number could rise as the storm moves north.
For those experiencing outages, unplug electrical equipment to avoid power "surges" when the system comes back online.
There have also been reports of outages at hospitals in southern Georgia, according to the Associated Press.
Helene's death toll rising
First responders in Florida and Georgia are responsible for rescuing over 200 people caught in rising floodwaters overnight, with a great majority of those rescues being in Pasco County — just north of Tampa.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) confirmed this morning two deaths in the state, one from a house collapse and one from a traffic incident, and warned more injuries may be reported as search and rescue efforts continue. Another five died from the storm in Pinellas County, according to Cathie Perkins, director of emergency management there.
In Pinellas, the storm surge reached 8 feet high. On Friday morning, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said “I would just describe it, having spent the last few hours out there, as a war zone."
Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) reported at least 11 deaths as of Friday morning, including one first responder.
"This has been a deadly storm," Kemp said at a press conference. He also reported that 152 roads were closed in the state, and 115 structures in Valdosta, in south Georgia, will need rescue operations.
South Carolina has reported nine deaths - including two from fallen trees. One death has been reported in North Carolina
Governors promise rescue teams are on the way
In a press conference in Tallahassee, Florida, this morning, DeSantis thanked the search and rescue teams that had been working through the night and reassured Floridians that the state is working hard to get the power back on. He and other officials urged residents to stay off the roads.
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"We've add thousands of missions successfully completed in the overnight hours throughout the state. All the calls that any state officials responded to last night, we were able to find the person, or people and pets, and bring them to safety," DeSantis said.
Kemp deployed 250 more National Guard troops on Friday morning and authorized calling up 1,000 more. There are 17 shelters open in Georgia, though one in Coffee County is operating with a lost roof.
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