Around 60 million people in 12 states are under hurricane and tropical storm warnings|@NHC_Atlantic|X

Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm near Florida’s Big Bend on Thursday, making it the first storm to hit the region since 1851. It brought chaos, evacuations, and outages to over 1 million customers.

Over 600,000 homes and businesses have already lost power. Experts are worried about the storm surge Hurricane Helene would bring, which analysts say could reach as high as 15 to 20 feet. They are also concerned about the storm’s size; at 420 miles wide, it is among the largest storms to hit the US in recent years.

A federal emergency has been declared in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Alabama. Over 70,000 residents have been evacuated across Franklin, Taylor, Liberty, and Wakulla counties, and schools, airports, and roadways have been closed.

As Helene moves northeast, around 60 million people in 12 states are under hurricane and tropical storm warnings. At least three storm-related deaths were reported.

The storm knocked out power to over 2.1 million people in North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Virginia|@CityofJax|X

Hurricane Helene, the strongest Category 4 storm to hit Florida’s Big Bend region, has devastated the Southeast, killing at least 95 people across six states.

Several towns were flooded in North Carolina and cut off from the rest of the world until Sunday.

Helene knocked out power of over 2.1 million people in North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Virginia, according to PowerOutage.us. Around 450 roads in the Carolinas were closed, hampering rescue efforts and water supplies to the affected communities.

Approximately 600 people have been reported missing in Buncombe County, North Carolina.

President Joe Biden plans to visit affected areas this week.