• Helene makes historic landfall: Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm and is now a Category 1. It is the strongest hurricane on record to slam into Florida’s Big Bend. You can track Helene’s path with CNN’s storm tracker.
• A sprawling storm: Helene is one of the largest storms in the Gulf of Mexico in the last century, with a wind field that could span roughly the distance between Indianapolis and Washington, DC. Watches and warnings are in place for 60 million people in 12 states.
• “Unsurvivable” storm surge: Storm surge — how high the water rises above normal levels — could climb to 20 feet along Florida’s Big Bend. The National Weather Service is warning of “unsurvivable” storm surge in Apalachee Bay.
• Widespread impacts: There have been at least three storm-related deaths. Catastrophic wind damage from the storm could cause power outages that will “likely last days, if not weeks.” Helene has also prompted school and business closures, as well as flight cancellations.
Our live coverage of Hurricane Helene has moved here.
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Hotel guests in Florida's Manatee County evacuated due to flooding from Hurricane Helene
From CNN’s Paradise Afshar
Guests at a Ramada Inn in Manatee County, Florida, were evacuated as the hotel was flooded with water due to Hurricane Helene.
Manatee County is located on Florida’s west coast, and sits between Sarasota County and Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located.
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Florida counties report extensive damage, severe flooding and downed power lines due to Hurricane Helene
From CNN staff
A building is affected by severe flooding due to Hurricane Helene in Charlotte County, Florida on September 26, 2024.
Charlotte County Emergency Management
As it made its historic landfall Thursday night, Helene was the strongest hurricane on record to slam into Florida’s Big Bend.
The storm — which has weakened from a Category 4 to a Category 1 — will continue to unleash life-threatening storm surge, flooding rainfall and destructive winds.
Helene has already had devastating impacts in Florida and Georgia: It’s led to at least three deaths, knocked down power lines and left more than 1.5 million in the dark, made traveling dangerous as roads are inundated with water, and disrupted emergency services in some counties.
Here’s how counties across Florida say they have been impacted by the sprawling storm:
Charlotte County: The emergency management office urged residents to stay off the roads because of widespread road flooding caused by storm surge. “There is no guarantee any road in the county will not have some level of flooding or dangerous debris during your trip,” the county said. The county said it removed personnel from the field due to the dangers posed by flooding, debris and high winds.
Citrus County: Water accumulated on roadways in the county, and an influx of storm surge through the night is expected, the sheriff’s office said, urging drivers to avoid roads with standing water.
Gadsden County: Downed trees and power lines were reported, the emergency services office said. Over 3,000 homes were without power as of early Friday morning.
Hillsborough County: The sheriff’s office said it was monitoring high water levels at an intersection, and asked drivers to seek an alternate route.
Levy County: The emergency management office halted emergency responses throughout the whole county “until such time that conditions are safe for our personnel to respond.”
Sarasota County: North and south bridges to the city of Siesta Key were made impassable by severe flooding, the sheriff’s office said. The office “urges those on the key to shelter in place safely until the water levels recede.”
Suwannee County: “Extreme destruction” was reported in the area, authorities said.Extensive damage was reported along the western side of the county, the sheriff’s office said. Trees fell on homes and there was severe structural damage. There were also many reports of trees and power lines down, causing “100% outages” throughout the county.
Pasco County: About 40 people have been rescued from rising water, according to the county Sheriff’s Office.
