Hurricane Helene tore through Florida and surged into Georgia on Friday, ranking as one of the most powerful storms to strike the U.S., leaving fears of devastation and loss of life in its wake.
Authorities confirmed one fatality in Florida as the Category 4 hurricane made landfall at 11:10 p.m. Eastern (3:10 a.m. GMT). Even before hitting shore, the storm had knocked out power to more than 1 million customers and caused widespread flooding.
Officials anticipated the death toll would rise as the storm roared in with winds reaching 140 mph before weakening to 75 mph (120 kph) as it pushed north into Georgia.
Helene was expected to trigger life-threatening storm surges of up to 20 feet (6 meters) and unleash torrential rains, heightening the risk of further destruction.
Authorities said it would likely be several hours before rescue personnel could reach those in need.
Helene is tied as the 14th most powerful hurricane to hit the U.S. since records have been kept and is the seventh most powerful to strike Florida, according to data from the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
In an overnight update, the NHC said Helene was weakening as it moved quickly north-northeastward near Valdosta, Georgia. "Life-threatening storm surge, winds, and heavy rains continue," it said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the one fatality linked to Helene was a driver whose car was struck by debris. "When we wake up tomorrow morning, there will likely have been more fatalities," DeSantis added.
Officials pleaded with residents in the storm's path to hunker down amid the life-threatening conditions. The storm surge was forecast to reach 15 to 20 feet (5 to 6 meters) in the Big Bend area of the Panhandle, where Helene came ashore.
"A really unsurvivable scenario is going to play out," National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said in a video briefing, warning that water capable of destroying buildings and carrying cars inland could devastate the coastal area.
Rain was lashing parts of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, central and western North Carolina, and portions of Tennessee. Atlanta, hundreds of miles north of Florida's Big Bend, was under a tropical storm warning.
In Pinellas County, which sits on a peninsula surrounded by Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, roads were already filling with water before noon. Officials warned the storm's impact could be as severe as last year's Hurricane Idalia, which flooded 1,500 homes in the low-lying coastal county.
Videos posted on the county’s social media showed swamped beachside roads and water rising over boat docks.
Airports in Tampa, Tallahassee, and St. Petersburg suspended operations on Thursday.
Helene is expected to remain a full-fledged hurricane as it rolls through the Macon, Georgia, area on Friday, forecasters said. It could bring 12 inches (30.5 cm) of rain or more, potentially devastating the state's cotton and pecan crops, which are in the middle of harvesting season.
"The current forecast for Hurricane Helene suggests this storm will impact every part of our state," Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said.
After making landfall in Florida, Helene is expected to slow over the Tennessee Valley on Friday and Saturday, the NHC said.
Numerous evacuations were ordered along Florida's Gulf Coast, including Sarasota and Charlotte counties.
In Taylor County, the sheriff's department wrote on social media that residents who chose not to evacuate should write their names and dates of birth on their arms in permanent ink "so that you can be identified and family notified."
In coastal Dunedin, Florida, about 25 miles west of Tampa, state ferry boat operator Ken Wood, 58, planned to ride out the storm with his 16-year-old cat, Andy.
"We're under orders, but I'm going to stay right here at the house," Wood told Reuters by phone.
Tallahassee officials expressed concern that the storm could cause unprecedented damage.
Reinsurance broker Gallagher Re said preliminary private insurance losses could reach $3 billion to $6 billion, with additional losses to federal insurance programs approaching $1 billion.
Energy facilities along the U.S. Gulf Coast scaled back operations and evacuated some production sites.
Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Deanne Criswell said at a White House briefing that she would travel to Florida on Friday to assess the damage.
Helene was expected to dump up to 15 inches (38.1 cm) of rain in some isolated spots after making landfall in Florida, causing significant flash and urban flooding, the NHC said.