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Hurricane Helene live updates: 52 dead in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia
Helene's storm surge, wind damage and inland flooding has been catastrophic.
Rescues are ongoing and the cleanup is underway on Saturday after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region Thursday night as a massive Category 4 hurricane -- the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the Big Bend on record.
The storm surge, wind damage and inland flooding from Helene has been catastrophic, impacting Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. Dozens have been killed and millions are still without power.
The remnants of Helene continue to bring rain to areas like Nashville, Paducah, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Detroit.
There are no new flood watches in effect and the overall flood threat is low.
There are still flood warnings in effect for multiple counties across parts of western North Carolina, eastern Kentucky, and western Virginia.
Latest headlines:
Death toll rises to 52
At least 52 people have died from Hurricane Helene, according to The Associated Press. Fatalities were confirmed in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.
In Georgia, the 17 victims killed include Leon Davis, an assistant fire chief from Blackshear, who died when a tree fell on his car while he was responding to a call, officials said. Also killed in Georgia was a 27-year-old mother and her 1-month-old twin boys, who died when a tree fell on their home in Washington County, officials said.
In Florida, the death toll has climbed to 11, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Saturday.
At least 17 were killed in South Carolina, including two firefighters in Saluda County, Gov. Henry McMaster said.
More than 2 million still without power
More than 4 million customers lost power across the South on Friday in the wake of Hurricane Helene, and on Saturday morning, more than 2 million are still without power.
More than 1 million are without power in South Carolina and 400,000 customers are in the dark in Florida.
Over 700,000 are without power in Georgia, another 600,000 customers are without power in North Carolina and more than 100,000 are in the dark in Virginia.
Severe bridge damage in Tennessee isolates residents, water intake at river sparks water crisis
Helene has left the bridge network across the Nolichucky River in Greene County, Tennessee -- along the Tennessee-North Carolina border -- severely compromised.
While the bridge on Asheville Highway remains standing, it faces significant damage. Residents south of the river, especially in the vicinity of Highway 107, are facing critical challenges, with many of them isolated cut off from basic services like food, water and medical care, officials said. Efforts are underway to bring aid to isolated areas, officials said.
Greene County is also facing a looming water crisis after the water intake at the Nolichucky River was destroyed by debris. The Tennessee Valley Authority assessed the condition of the nearby dam and declared it under "Condition Red.”
The county’s water supply is in critical condition, with only 36 to 48 hours of reserves left. The local water commission has urged residents to conserve water.
-ABC News’ Jason Volack
Florida homes reduced to rubble from 'unstoppable' storm surge: Governor
Helene’s "fierce" and "unstoppable" storm surge has left some homes in Florida completely obliterated and "just rubble," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Saturday.
The storm surge was more than 15 feet in some spots -- much more significant than from other recent storms, he said.
Eleven people in Florida were killed from the storm, but none of the fatalities were in Taylor County, where Helene made landfall, the governor said.
He credited local officials and residents for heeding evacuation orders.
"If you had told me there was going to be 15 to 18 feet of storm surge, I would have expected multiple fatalities. The fact that there weren’t any here is a testament to the preparedness of the community," he said.