Helene hits Florida as Category 4 hurricane

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.