At the time of writing, at least 35 deaths have been reported as Helene moves across Florida and into Alabama and Georgia.
Eleven deaths were reported in Georgia, five in Florida, seven in Georgia, two in North Carolina, and seventeen in South Carolina.
States of emergency were declared for Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Possible floods and high winds are expected to impact Tennessee, Kentucky, and parts of Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wrote on X that “first responders have been carrying out hundreds of successful search-and-rescue operations here and in other areas hit hard by the storm. Florida is grateful for their courageous efforts.”
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said ahead of the hurricane’s impact that it would be a “statewide event.”
“For the next several days, keep devices charged with the sound on, be mindful of weather alerts and updates, and follow the links below for up-to-date emergency information.”
The Weather Channel reported that Helene made landfall at 11:10 ET on Thursday night in the Big Bend area of Florida with 140-mph winds.
There are at least 4.4. million outages in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, according to FEMA.
This is a developing story.
