Hurricane Helene live updates: 43 dead across the South

At least 43 people have died from Hurricane Helene.

In Georgia, 15 people were killed, including a first responder who was trying to save others, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said.

In McDuffie County, just west of Augusta, a mother and her twin infants were among the victims, officials said.

In Wheeler County, southeast of Macon, a man and a woman were killed after their mobile home overturned, local officials said.

In Florida, 9 people have died.

One person died in Dixie County in the Big Bend region when a tree fell on a home, Gov. Ron DeSantis said, and a second person was killed on Interstate 4 near Tampa when a sign fell on a car.

Five others died in Pinellas County, according to the sheriff.

Two were killed in North Carolina. In Charlotte, one person was killed when a tree fell on a house, according to the Mecklenburg EMS Agency, and another person died in a traffic accident in Catawba County, officials said.

Seventeen people have died in South Carolina, including two firefighters in Saluda County, Gov. Henry McMaster said.

President Joe Biden told reporters that the impact of Hurricane Helene "looks bad," citing more than two dozen dead, but that they "don't have enough information."

He was asked by ABC News' Karen Travers about his briefing with his team on the storm effects while on the tarmac in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Friday afternoon.

-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart

Nearly 4.5 million customers lost power across the South Friday in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

More than 1.2 million are without power in South Carolina and more than 900,000 are without power in North Carolina.

More than 940,000 customers are without power in Georgia and nearly 830,000 are without power in Florida.

More than 50 health care facilities are operating on generator power across Florida, officials said.

Helene has been downgraded to a tropical depression but it is still bringing catastrophic and potentially life-threatening flooding to the Southeast. People should be prepared for flash flooding, river flooding and landslides.

Busick, in western North Carolina, recorded nearly 30 inches of rain this week from Helene and a previous storm.

Meanwhile, water levels are receding along Florida’s Gulf Coast after Hurricane Helene’s intense storm surge. Water levels reached more than 15 feet above ground level in some areas.

Helene is expected to continue to weaken and stall over the Tennessee and Ohio valleys this weekend, bringing more heavy rain, gusty winds and flooding.

A flood watch is in effect from Missouri to Virginia. Up to 6 inches of rain is possible in some areas.

A tornado watch is also in effect for parts of North Carolina and Virginia. Several tornadoes have already been reported in North Carolina.