Deadly Helene downgraded to tropical storm after lashing Florida with historic storm surge, destructive winds

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Helene continues to weaken and is now a tropical storm after it made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region late Thursday night as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, unleashing deadly effects on the Southeast including destructive hurricane-force wind gusts, an "unsurvivable" storm surge and torrential, flooding rain.

Helene made landfall about 10 miles west-southwest of Perry, Florida, at 11:10 p.m. ET Thursday with impacts felt hundreds of miles away. At least two deaths were reported in Wheeler County, Georgia, where a mobile home was damaged during one of the many Tornado Warnings. In Florida, at least one person was killed in a crash on Interstate 4 in the Tampa area that involved a highway sign on top of a car.

The hurricane's storm surge was significant enough to trigger water rescues from the Big Bend to Southwest Florida, and mobile homes were even said to be floating in the coastal town of Steinhatchee.

Flash flooding is now becoming the greatest threat from Helene as it races across the Southeast, with torrential rain lashing parts of Georgia and the western Carolinas. A Flash Flood Emergency was issued early Friday morning for Haywood County in western North Carolina after 6-10 inches of rain had fallen with more on the way.

Power outages climb as Helene's winds pummel Florida, Georgia

Power outages climbed to about 1.3 million in Florida early Friday morning after wind gusts neared or even exceeded hurricane-force strength. A 99-mph wind gust was reported in Perry, Florida, about 10 miles from where Hurricane Helene made landfall. St. Petersburg recorded an 82 mph gust, while Sarasota saw a 74-mph wind gust. 

Significant outages are also being reported in Georgia, where over a half-million customers were without power early Friday morning. Winds have gusted as high as 100 mph in Alma, 88 mph in Valdosta and 76 mph in Savannah.

FOX Weather's Ian Oliver said the surge quickly submerged streets around St. Pete Beach on Thursday evening when high tide was still several hours away.

And farther south in a community called Sunset Beach, local fire rescue said it would no longer respond to calls for service due to the flooding.

Clearwater Beach reported its highest surge since at least the Superstorm of 1993, with a level of more than 7 feet.

TRACKING HURRICANE HELENE: LIVE FORECAST CONE, SPAGHETTI MODELS, ALERTS, WIND PROJECTIONS AND MORE

Storm surge remained a dire threat during the system's trek up the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Because of the storm's massive size, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Helene brought a significant risk of life-threatening storm surge along the entire west coast of the Florida Peninsula and Florida’s Big Bend region.

The highest inundation, with as much as 20 feet of storm surge flooding, was expected from Carrabelle to the Suwannee River in Florida. Other locations like Apalachicola and Chassahowitzka were expected to see 10-15 feet of storm surge.

"A catastrophic and deadly storm surge is likely along portions of the Florida Big Bend coast, where inundation could reach as high as 20 feet above ground level, along with destructive waves," the NHC warned.  The National Weather Service in Tallahassee called the expected storm surge into Apalachee Bay "catastrophic and potentially unsurvivable."

Helene's impacts to be felt far inland

Helene's impact will be felt well beyond the coastal area of the Big Bend, with hurricane-force gusts likely across Tallahassee and into Georgia as the storm races inland through Friday morning. The storm's combination of speed and size means it will hold its strength farther inland than most hurricanes.

Within an hour of landfall, Helene was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane, but its impacts are expected to last many more days.

Several inches of rain will create widespread and potentially catastrophic flash flooding across the Southeast.

During the hurricane, the Florida Highway Patrol reported responding to a serious crash along Interstate 4 in Tampa with a fatality.

In a Florida Department of Transportation video, a highway sign appeared to be dislodged and lying on a car.

Troopers have not revealed what they believe caused the crash but encouraged residents to simply stay home until the worst of the weather exits the region.

WHERE DOES HELENE GO AFTER HITTING FLORIDA? SOUTHEAST, MID-ATLANTIC COULD SEE CATASTROPHIC FLOODING