Category 4 storm Hurricane Helene makes landfall in Florida, wreaks havoc, watch
Hurricane Helene struck the Florida coast Thursday night as a powerful Category 4 storm, bringing widespread devastation with strong winds, heavy rains, and dangerous storm surges. The hurricane made landfall around 11:10 p.m. ET near Perry, Florida, about 70 km east-southeast of Tallahassee, with maximum sustained winds of 225 kph (140 mph), according to the UA National Hurricane Center.
Forming rapidly over the warm Gulf waters, Helene intensified as it approached the coastline, pushing seawater as high as 20 feet (6.1 meters) inland in some areas. Local officials warned that this storm poses a severe threat to life in coastal and low-lying areas. Wakulla County Sheriff Jared Miller emphasized, "This is not a survivable event for those in these regions." Evacuation orders were issued for over 70,000 residents across several counties, including Franklin, Taylor, Liberty, and Wakulla.
States of emergency have been declared across Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Alabama. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urged residents to evacuate, citing dangers from flooding, power outages, and road closures. While Helene is expected to weaken after landfall, it continues to move quickly, raising concerns about its impact as it shifts northwest toward the Tennessee Valley.
President Joe Biden approved emergency declarations for multiple states to mobilize federal assistance ahead of the storm. AccuWeather's senior director, Dan DePodwin, called Helene a "once-in-a-generation storm" that could wreak havoc across parts of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.