Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm last night across a sparsely populated region in Florida’s rural Big Bend area and has transitioned into a tropical storm barreling across the Southeast.
According to combined media reports, as of 2:00 p.m. EDT, the storm is responsible for at least 25 deaths in four states while more than 4.6 million customers in nine states lost power – including markets as far north as Indiana and Ohio.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation declared that all roads in the western part of the state should be considered closed due to the dangerous conditions brought by Helene. Atlanta’s city government issued a flash flood emergency and storm surges up to 15 feet were reported in some coastal locations across Florida.
“Helene is still producing historic and catastrophic flooding over portions of the Southeast,” said the National Hurricane Center in an update. “A slowdown in forward speed is expected, and the depression is forecast to stall over the Tennessee Valley tonight and through the weekend.”
Photo: The National Archives and Records Administration
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