Hurricane Helene live updates: 3 dead, 2 million without power across 4 states

Hurricane Helene was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane in the early hours of Friday having moved around 100 miles inland into Florida and Georgia.

Its sustained winds dropped to 90 mph, with further weakening expected through to 5 a.m. ET.

Helene is maintaining speed at around 26 mph, heading north-northeast through central Georgia.

Macon, Atlanta, and Augusta are expected to experience damaging winds and torrential rain over the next two to three hours.

"Life-threatening storm surge, winds and heavy rains continue," the National Hurricane Center wrote on X.

-ABC News' Richard Von Ohlen

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp confirmed that two people were killed during Hurricane Helene's passage into Georgia overnight, bringing the storm's total death toll to three.

Kemp said he and his family were "saddened to learn of the loss of two lives in Wheeler County this evening. As we join their families in mourning their deaths, we urge all Georgians to brace for further impact from Helene, remain vigilant and pray for all those affected."

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

-ABC News' Ahmad Hemingway

More than 200,000 customers were without power in Georgia as Hurricane Helene pushed inland in the early hours of Friday morning, according to poweroutages.us.

The website said 244,657 were without power. More than 1.2 million customers in Florida were also disconnected.

-ABC News’ David Brennan

The National Hurricane Center has warned residents to "remain in place" as Hurricane Helene moves into southern Georgia as a Category 2 storm.

NHC advises people not to step outside when the calm of the eye is over them, as winds will increase after Helene passes.

Helene made landfall in Perry, Florida, as a Category 4, with 140 mph winds, but the speed of its maximum sustained winds has dropped to 110 mph.

The hurricane is moving across land at 26 mph.

Meanwhile, more than 200,000 customers are without power in Georgia, according to poweroutage.us.

-ABC News' Richard Von Ohlen