This story was updated on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 at 9:32 a.m.
Hurricane Helene over Georgia early Friday after making landfall overnight in northwestern Florida as a Category 4 storm. Authorities rescued people trapped by floodwaters and more than 3 million customers were in the dark across much of the southeastern U.S.
Helene came ashore amid warnings from the National Hurricane Center that could create . There were at least four storm-related deaths.
READ MORE: Helene strengthens to a Category 4 hurricane as it nears Florida's Gulf Coast
once again weakened into a tropical storm Thursday evening as the slow-moving storm crept along the coast of the Mexican state of Michoacan, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Isaac strengthened Friday into a hurricane in the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean and could cause dangerous waves in parts of Bermuda, forecasters said.
Here's the latest:
Authorities rescued people trapped by floodwaters and more than 3 million customers were in the dark across much of the southeastern U.S. as weakened to a tropical storm over Georgia early Friday after making landfall overnight in northwestern Florida as a Category 4 storm.
Helene came ashore amid warnings from the National Hurricane Center that could create . There were at least four storm-related deaths.
Video on social media sites showed sheets of rain coming down in Perry, Florida, near where Helene made landfall, and siding being torn off buildings. One local news station showed a home that had flipped over. The community and much of surrounding Taylor County were without power.
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Residents in Florida鈥檚 Big Bend region wake up to widespread power outages
PERRY, Fla. 鈥� Residents of Florida鈥檚 Big Bend region woke up to widespread power outages Friday morning after Hurricane Helene made landfall overnight near the mouth of the Aucilla River.
Helene slammed ashore in the largely rural stretch of Florida as a Category 4 hurricane, becoming the third hurricane to batter that swath of the state in a little over a year.
Perry after the front eyewall of Helene.
— Adam Lucio 馃尓锔� (@AdamLucioWX)
As the sun rose over U.S. Highway 27 outside of Perry, cars dodged and weaved among downed pine trees that blocked portions of the road, some ensnarled in power lines. Emergency workers were already on hand clearing debris before 8 am. The air smelled of pine needles and fresh wood 鈥� from the staggering trees shattered by the storm, some snapped in half like toothpicks.
First responders in Venice assess damage and conduct wellness checks
VENICE, Fla. 鈥� In Venice, Florida, police and fire rescue crews helped with 30 rescues of residents in coastal areas on Thursday, the city said in a social media post. The water has since receded, but teams were out Friday morning assessing damage and conducting door-to-door wellness checks.
鈥淭his morning we鈥檙e regrouping after doing some work last night with evacuating some people from some of the areas that were affected by the storm surge and the salt water intrusion to homes and low-lying areas,鈥� Police Chief Charlie Thorpe said in a video posted on social media.
鈥淚t all started on the jetties, worked its way to Golden Beach when we had a significant storm surge there and eventually into Harbor Lights last night. We were working hard there to do whatever we needed to do for life-safety issues and we鈥檙e back in those areas this morning checking on things,鈥� he added.
