More than 4 million customers were without power across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas on Friday morning after Helene made landfall late Thursday as a monster Category 4 storm.
Now a weakened tropical storm, Helene came ashore in Florida’s Big Bend region, bringing winds up to 140 mph and life-threatening storm surges.
Flooding was reported up and down Florida’s coast, with record surge levels recorded across the Tampa area. Storm surges up to 20 feet had been predicted ahead of Helene’s arrival.
A flash flood emergency has been issued for Atlanta, and mandatory evacuations were ordered in parts of North Carolina as rivers swelled.
Forecasters have said Helene “is expected to turn northwestward and slow down over the Tennessee Valley later today and Saturday.”
For more on this story, please visit yahoo.com.