On Thursday night, Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida as a powerful Category 4 storm, unleashing what were described as "catastrophic" storm surges and extremely dangerous winds.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) confirmed that the eye of the storm reached land at 11:10 p.m., approximately 40 miles from Tallahassee, the state capital, just east of the Aucilla River's mouth, and about 10 miles from the rural town of Perry.
After gaining strength over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Helene struck with sustained winds reaching 140 mph (225 km/h). This marks the most severe hurricane to ever hit this part of Florida.
Impact and Devastation
Residents in the affected areas have shared dramatic images showcasing the destructive power of Helene. Videos circulating on social media illustrate the intensity of the winds, torrential rains, and extensive flooding.
Perry was among the hardest-hit towns, but footage from other areas along the western and northern coasts of the state also reveals significant damage. Scenes from Cedar Key in Levy County showed flooding that nearly submerged entire homes. Similarly, Madeira Beach in Pinellas County experienced severe flooding.
In St. Pete Beach, also in Pinellas County, storm surges led to additional flooding. Some videos even captured the explosion of electrical transformers, adding to the chaos.
Journalists on the Front Lines
Predictably, some journalists took significant risks to report on the meteorological conditions, placing themselves in danger to provide live updates.
The NHC advised residents in the most threatened areas to stay in their shelters and not venture outside until the high-risk conditions had passed.
Tragic Loss
Unfortunately, at least one person has died due to the hurricane. According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), a traffic sign fell onto a vehicle traveling on Interstate 4 in Tampa, resulting in a fatality. The identity of the deceased has not been released, making this the first confirmed fatality linked to Hurricane Helene.
Post-Landfall Developments
After hitting Florida's Big Bend coast as a Category 4 hurricane, Helene has weakened as it moved inland over Georgia. The latest update from the NHC placed the storm about 100 miles southwest of Augusta and roughly 40 miles southeast of Macon.
The maximum sustained winds have decreased to 75 mph (120 km/h), and the storm is moving north rapidly at around 30 mph (48 km/h). Despite the weakening, Helene continues to bring hurricane-force winds and heavy rains, posing a dangerous and potentially deadly situation for residents in central Georgia.