Hurricane Helene live: Several dead as tropical storm batters Georgia and Florida after landfall
Death toll continues to rise after Helene slammed into Florida’s coast as a Category 4 hurricane, marking one of the most powerful storms to strike US in recent memory
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At least three people have died as Helene made landfall in Florida as a devastating Category 4 hurricane, bringing “catastrophic” and “unsurvivable” conditions.
Helene hit Florida’s Big Bend region just after 11pm ET packing sustained winds of around 140 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. Wind speeds continued to fall across Friday morning, with Helene eventually being downgraded to a tropical storm as it continues to chart its course through Georgia.
Since making landfall, the storm has caused “record” flooding across the Gulf Coast, leaving approximately 2.1 million homes and businesses across Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas under blackout conditions on Friday. Apart from Florida, Alabama, and parts of the Carolinas are also at risk of flooding.
The first death was confirmed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, after a sign fell on a driver’s car in Tampa. Two more deaths were reported in Wheeler County late on Thursday, Georgia after a trailer was swept up by a tornado.
Helene’s size is massive compared to previous hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and is one of the largest storms in breadth to hit the region in years, with only three bigger since 1988.
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Watch live: Hurricane Helene makes landfall in Florida as catastrophic Category 4 storm
Live: Hurricane Helene makes landfall in Florida as catastrophic Category 4 storm
Watch live from Clearwater, Florida, on Friday 27 September after Hurricane Helene roared ashore the state's Big Bend region as one of the most powerful storms to hit the United States.
Fallen trees and power lines strewn across ‘nearly every road’
Taylor County Sheriff’s Office warned the fallen trees and downed power lines are littering “almost every road,” it said in a statement on Friday.
“Please stay off the roads until we let you know they are safe and clear!! Many trees down and power lines across almost every road,” it wrote on Facebook.
Helene reached the Taylor County coast at about 11:10pm as a Category 4 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center confirmed on Thursday night.
The Sheriff’s Office’s announcement comes hours after it made the morbid Facebook request asking for those who didn’t follow evacuation advice to write their personal details across their limbs for ID purposes.
Dramatic moment Coast Guard rescue man and dog after boat damage by Hurricane Helene
States set to be soaked by 20in rain causing ‘record’ floods and landslides
The National Hurricane Center has warned of record flooding and landslides due to torrential downpours across Southeastern US.
While Helene’s wind speeds are expected to continue slowing – with it being downgraded to a tropical storm on Friday morning – the NHC has warned of life-threatening storm surge which could still reach up to 10ft in parts of Florida.
Isolated rainfall of 20in could soak portions of the Southeastern US into the Southern Appalachians.
Heavy rains “will likely result in catastrophic and potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding, along with significant and record river flooding,” the NHC said.
Authorities make morbid request to those defying evacuation protocols
Taylor County urged residents who defied the county’s mandatory evacuation order to write identifying details on their arm or leg in permanent marker ahead of Hurricane Helene making landfall in Florida on Thursday evening.
Taylor County Sheriff’s Office’s Division of Emergency Management made the morbid request in a Facebook statement ahead of Helene making landfall.
“If you or someone you know chose not to evacuate, PLEASE write your, Name, birthday and important information on your arm or leg in A PERMANENT MARKER so that you can be identified and family notified,” the department wrote on Thursday evening.
Helene reached the coast near the small town of Perry, in Taylor County at around 11:10pm as a Category 4 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center confirmed on Thursday night.
One person was killed as sustained wind speeds topped out at 140 miles per hour, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed.
Tracking Helene: where is the storm heading?
Helene, which was downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm on Friday morning, is currently charting a path through Georgia this morning.
It initially hit the Florida Gulf Coast late last night as a Category 4 hurricane, with the death toll currently standing at three.
The storm’s is expected to center over central northeaster Georgia before it is expected to turn northwestward and slow down over the Tennessee Valley later today, the National Hurricane Center said.
‘Record-breaking’ flash flooding as landslide alert issued
Helene weakens to tropical storm as tracks through Georgia
Helene has been downgraded to a tropical storm as it continuesato move inland over Georgia, with sustained winds of about 70mph, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest public advisory.
Life-threatening storm surge, strong winds and heavy rains will continue across the state.
It comes after Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane late on Thursday, with wind speeds reaching 140mph.
The death toll currently stands at three, with a clearer picture of the devastation in the Sunshine State to unfold this morning.
More than 2.1m homes and businesses left without power across Southeast US
Approximately 2.15m homes and businesses are currently without power across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, according to Poweroutage.us.
Florida, which is experience the worst of the blackouts, has more than 1.25m electricity customers left in the dark. Georgia sees more than 644,000 customers without power.
About 200,100 homes and businesses are experiencing power failures in South Carolina while North Carolina sees approximately 51,000 customers face blackouts.
Girl, 4, killed in car crash during heavy rains spawned from Hurricane Helene
A four-year-old girl and a 58-year-old man died in a head-on road collision in Charlotte, North Carolina, during “heavy rains” spawned by Hurricane Helene ahead of it making landfall on Thursday, authorities said.
The Catawba County wreck happened on along Boggs Road near Hunsucker Drive at approximately 8.10am, according to State Highway Patrol Trooper Christopher Casey said.
Two other children, a two-year-old and a 12-year-old, were hospitalized and left with “life-threatening injuries,” authorities said.
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