PHOTOS: Helene brings flooding, damage as storm tears through Southeast

(NEXSTAR) – Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region on Thursday night, bringing devastating flooding, heavy rains and damaging winds to parts of the Southeastern U.S.

Helene, which has weakened to a tropical storm as it heads north, has already been blamed for well over a dozen deaths. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said at least 11 people in his state were killed. At least six others died in Florida, Nexstar’s WFLA reported, including one person whose car was struck by a road sign on a Florida roadway. And falling trees killed at least three people in the Carolinas.

Helene has also trapped residents in their homes or cars amid storm surges and floodwaters, which officials had warned could contain live wires, sewage, sharp objects and other debris.

Widespread power outages were reported across Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, too, with nearly 4 million homes and businesses were without power Friday, according to poweroutage.us , which tracks utility reports.

Photos from the areas where Helene had struck — both before and after making landfall — illustrate the devastating toll of the storm.

The hurricane came ashore near the mouth of the Aucilla River on Florida’s Gulf Coast. That location was only about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of where Hurricane Idalia hit last year at nearly the same ferocity and caused widespread damage.

Soon after it crossed over land, Helene weakened to a tropical storm, with its maximum sustained winds falling to 70 mph (110 kph). Forecasters expected the system to continue weakening as it moves into Tennessee and Kentucky and drops heavy rain over the Appalachian Mountains, with the risk of mudslides and flash flooding.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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