Millions without power after Hurricane Helene slams Southeast

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Thomas Chaves, left, and Vinny Almeida walk through floodwaters from Hurricane Helene in an attempt to reach Chaves's mother's house in the Shore Acres neighborhood Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Associated Press/Photo by Mike Carlson

Millions without power after Hurricane Helene slams Southeast

The storm on Friday morning battered western North Carolina with heavy rain and sustained winds up to 45 miles per hour as it continued moving north, according to the National Hurricane Center. Authorities in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina reported at least 20 people had died in storm-related incidents. More than 4.5 million people were without power Friday morning in states from Florida to West Virginia, according to PowerOutage.us. Flash flood warnings were in effect across the region and the Rutherford County Emergency Management office on Friday warned residents in some communities south of Asheville to evacuate after the Broad River began flowing over the Lake Lure Dam.

Where is the storm moving next? Helene was forecast to turn northwest over the weekend and continue pouring rain over the Tennessee Valley and the southern Appalachians. Heavy rain could trigger landslides and flash flooding.

Dig deeper: Read our report from Thursday about the storm making landfall.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.