Millions without power after Hurricane Helene slams Southeast

Update, Friday 7 p.m. ET:  The Associated Press is now reporting that at least 40 people are dead in four states across Florida and the southeastern United States. In Georgia, the storm knocked out power to some hospitals, and Gov. Brian Kemp said restoring that power was his top priority. Roughly 4.5 million residents remain without power across 11 easter states, according to PowerOutage.us.

Original story: 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.