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Storm poses a threat hours after landfall

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Helene weakened to a tropical storm as it swept through Georgia early Friday, although it was still producing life-threatening storm surges, winds and flooding rain hours after making devastating landfall on Florida's Big Bend coast.

Helene made landfall near Perry, Florida, around 11:10 p.m. ET on Thursday with winds of 140 mph, making it the first known Category 4 storm to hit Florida's Big Bend region since records began earlier this year met in 1851.

The storm maintained hurricane strength for several hours as it moved inland over northern Florida and into Georgia. As of 5 a.m. ET Friday, the National Hurricane Center said Helene was a tropical storm with sustained winds of 70 mph. It was located 40 miles east of Macon, Georgia, and 100 miles southeast of Atlanta and was traveling north at 30 miles per hour.

According to authorities, at least one death in Florida has been attributed to the hurricane. In central Georgia, local news outlets reported that two people died Thursday after a mobile home overturned in a possible tornado.

Authorities in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas rescued residents trapped in rising floodwaters, while heavy rains continued to lash Helene in the southeast. From Florida to the Carolinas, more than 2.5 million homes and businesses were without power.

Track the Storm: Map Helene's predicted path through Georgia

Developments:

∎ All hurricane and tropical storm warnings have been discontinued along Florida's east coast south of the Flagler-Volusia county line and along Florida's west coast south of the mouth of the Suwannee River, according to the National Hurricane Center.

∎ According to data from the National Hurricane Center, Helene is the 14th most powerful hurricane to ever hit the United States on record and the seventh most powerful to hit Florida.

∎ The sheriff's office in Pasco County, Florida, north of Tampa, said about 200 people were rescued from floodwaters overnight in a joint partnership with the Pasco County Fire Department, the National Guard and other law enforcement partners.

In the tiny community of St. Marks, about 20 miles south of Tallahassee, floodwaters had reached the front of the U.S. postal building, about a thirteenth of a mile from the St. Marks River, which flows into the Gulf a few miles downstream. At 6:30 a.m. the water seemed to be slowly receding. The low tide was just before 6 a.m. and the next high tide is just before noon. Some residents had planned to ride out the storm in their homes or aboard fishing boats moored in the marina. They could not immediately be reached Friday morning, although cell phone reception in the area was working. In the predawn darkness, the Wakulla County Sheriff's Office closed access to the area except for locals and recovery workers.

Authorities in the Atlanta area conducted rescue operations early Friday as Helene raced across the state, flooding much of the Southeast with several inches of rain.

About 25 people were rescued from a flooded apartment complex north of downtown Atlanta, multiple outlets reported, citing the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department.

Nearby Peachtree Creek reached major flood stage, reaching more than 23 feet. Flood watches and warnings were active throughout the state of Georgia, where all counties were under a state of emergency declared by Governor Brian Kemp.

About 4 to 6 inches of rain fell across north-central Georgia, including Atlanta and surrounding counties, according to the weather service in Peachtree City, south of Atlanta. Forecasters say another 5cm could fall during the morning hours.

In Mitchell and Avery counties in western North Carolina, officials declared a flash flood emergency and warned residents of “catastrophic flooding.”

Officials reported severe flooding in both counties as rainfall of more than 7 to 10 inches closed roads, flooded bridges and inundated homes and businesses. According to the weather service, water rescue work was underway across the region.

“This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. LOOK FOR HIGHER ACCOMMODATIONS NOW! Life-threatening flash flooding at low-water crossings, small creeks and creeks, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses,” the weather service said in nearby South Carolina.

Over 2.5 million homes and businesses in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina were left in the dark early Friday as Helene lashed the region with strong winds and heavy rain.

Most of the outages were reported in Florida, particularly along the Big Bend coast, where the storm made landfall Thursday evening before barreling toward Georgia. More than 1.2 million utility customers were without power as of 5:30 a.m., according to a USA TODAY power outage tracker.

There were 820,000 outages reported in Georgia, while there were 420,000 outages in South Carolina and over 100,000 outages in North Carolina.

As Helene battered northwest Florida with winds topping 100 miles per hour and water waves several feet high, Philip Tooke managed to type out a succinct but frantic message from his phone while braving the storm – not in his house, but on his boat .

“Power outage,” he wrote from St. Mark's, 30 miles south of Tallahassee and 20 miles from where Hurricane Helene hit the mouth of the Aucilla River. But he adds: “Still floating.”

Tooke, the 63-year-old owner of a local fish market, and his brother remained aboard their fishing boats while Helene attacked the area. The couple are among the Floridians who sought the water to survive. They did so despite evacuation orders in advance of the Category 4 hurricane and dire warnings foreseeing the death of those left behind.

Read the full story here: Florida residents are weathering Hurricane Helene

-Michael Loria, Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY

It is still too early for detailed damage reports from the counties that Helene passed through. But the National Hurricane Center says Category 4 storms threaten well-built frame homes with “severe” damage that could potentially result in the loss of roofs and walls. Most trees are snapped or uprooted and power poles are toppled.

“Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months,” the hurricane center says of Category 4 storms.

The governors of Georgia and the Carolinas have declared a state of emergency as the fast-moving storm rages across the Florida coast.

“We will likely avoid the brunt of this storm, but it is still expected to bring flooding, strong winds and isolated tornadoes,” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said. “Take appropriate precautions and monitor local forecasts.”

–Doyle Rice

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell will visit Florida on Friday to assess the storm's impact and report to Biden.

Criswell said she would fly as close to Tallahassee as possible and meet with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his team. The FEMA director said she would like to take an aerial tour if possible so she can see the damage for herself. After that, she is ready to move to Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, where Helene is also expected to be severely affected.

“Being on the ground helps me validate some of the damage more quickly, so we can get important declarations underway more quickly,” she told reporters at a White House briefing on Thursday, adding that the agency was discussing the resources it needs to respond to this disaster.

Criswell said FEMA had aggressively deployed resources in advance of Helene's arrival and advised those likely to be affected to do the same, both in Florida and in inland locations far from the storm's landfall. Up to 20 inches of rain and widespread flooding could occur in parts of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and the Appalachian Mountains.

“Take the storm seriously,” Criswell said. “People facing Hurricane Helene need to listen to officials on the ground.” If you are told to evacuate, please do so, and if you are told to shelter in place If you want to search, then you should do that too. They will give you the best information you can for your specific situation. These decisions can save lives.

Francesca Chambers

Contributors: Tallahassee Democrat; Reuters

By Vanessa

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