Tropical Storm Helene Weakens, But Leaves Destruction Across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina

Tropical Storm Helene, previously a formidable Category 4 storm, has downgraded and is now traversing north through Georgia, unleashing strong winds and torrential rain, with the National Hurricanes Center characterizing the conditions as "life-threatening".

Hurricane Helene degraded

As of 5 a.m. ET, the storm was located 40 miles east of Macon, Georgia, boasting sustained winds of 70 mph. Helene made its initial landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a Category 4 storm at 11:10 p.m. last night, prompting emergency services to initiate rescue operations for individuals stranded by rapidly rising waters.

Despite the storm's weakening, a storm surge warning remains in effect along Florida's west coast, stretching from Indian Pass to Tampa Bay, with potential surges of up to 10 feet.

The storm's impact has already resulted in tragic incidents, including the death of a driver in Tampa due to a fallen sign, the loss of two lives when an apparent tornado overturned a mobile home in Wheeler County, Georgia, and the death of a firefighter in Pierce County, Georgia, caused by a falling tree.

Currently, almost 3 million individuals are without power across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, with concerns that outages could persist for weeks. The full extent of the damage caused by the storm is expected to remain unclear for some time as emergency services grapple with the challenging conditions posed by floods and heavy rainfall.