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Hurricane Helene live updates: 6 dead, 2 million without power

Helene is slamming Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas with torrential rain.

Last Updated: September 27, 2024, 7:11 AM EDT

Helene -- which weakened to a tropical storm on Friday morning over Georgia -- made landfall as a massive Category 4 hurricane, slamming into the Big Bend region of Florida on Thursday night with 140 mph winds.

The monster storm churned across Florida into Georgia, leaving at least three people dead and millions without power across the Southeast. Significant flooding was reported across the region, with more rain expected Friday as Helene moves toward Tennessee.

10 minutes ago

Helene death toll rises to 6

At least six people have died as Hurricane Helene slams the South.

Jamir Lewis wades through flood waters with his two daughters Nylah and Aria due to storm surge from Hurricane Helene, Sept. 27, 2024 in Crystal River, Fla.
Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times/ZUMA via Shutterstock

In Charlotte, North Carolina, one person was killed and another was injured when a tree fell on a house, according to the Mecklenburg EMS Agency.

Two people died in Laurens County in central Georgia, according to local officials. Two others died in nearby Wheeler County, Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp confirmed.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that one person was killed on the I-4 highway near Tampa when a sign fell on a car.

A capsized boat washes ashore as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on Sept. 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

-ABC News' Ahmad Hemingway

24 minutes ago

Mandatory evacuations ordered amid 'catastrophic rain' in North Carolina

Mandatory evacuations are in place for some residents of Asheville in western North Carolina as severe flooding from Hurricane Helene hits the state.

Evacuations were ordered for the Swannanoa River Valley area due to a high risk of flooding from the "catastrophic rain," officials said.

Parts of the state have recorded up to 15 inches of rain, with more expected through Friday. Some areas are expecting as much as 20 inches of rain through the course of the storm. Dangerous landslides are also expected.

Water rescues and flooded homes have been reported in Haywood County, just west of Asheville.

-ABC News’ Max Golembo

1 hour ago

More than 2 million without power across the South

More than 2 million customers are waking up without power across the South Friday morning in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Douglas Gajus and his wife Tara watch the news as they wait for the arrival of Hurricane Helene at Lincoln High School which was opened as a shelter in Tallahassee, Fla., on Sept. 26, 2024.
Kathleen Flynn/Reuters

More than 1.2 million customers are without power in Florida and over 800,000 are in the dark in Georgia.

More than 500,000 lost power in South Carolina and more than 190,000 are without power in North Carolina.

1 hour ago

200 rescued from rising waters in Pasco County, Florida

About 200 people have been rescued overnight from the rising floodwaters in Pasco County, Florida, just north of Tampa, according to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.

The water is receding Friday morning and rescue calls have slowed, authorities said.