A Look at Damage From Hurricane Helene

Simmone Shah

A man crosses a storm surge flooded area on the coast of Gulfport, Fla. on Sept. 26, 2024. Credit - Thomas Simonetti—The Washington Post/Getty Images

Hurricane Helene hit Florida as a category 4 storm Thursday night, killing at least 21 people in four states. The storm has caused widespread damage in Florida, and power outages and flooding throughout several states in the south.

Helene began as a tropical storm earlier this week, but was upgraded to a category 4 hurricane before it reached the U.S.The storm first made landfall in Florida’s sparsely populated Big Bend region before moving up the Gulf Coast. It brought maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and record-breaking storm surges to the state.

As the storm made landfall in Perry, Florida, on Thursday Florida Governor Ron DeSantis cautioned residents to expect the worst: “When Floridians wake up tomorrow morning, we’re going to be waking up to a state where very likely there’s been additional loss of life and certainly there’s going to be loss of property,” he said during a press conference late Thursday.

Read more: See the Path of Storm Helene After it Left Trail of Destruction

On Friday morning, DeSantis reported two storm-related deaths in the state, and added that there were 1.24 million customers without power across the state. A spokesperson for Georgia Governor Brian Kemp told AP that 11 people have died in the state, and dozens more are trapped in their homes. Millions in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Florida are without power due to the storm. As the system moved up the coast of Florida and into Georgia and the Carolinas on Friday morning, it had been downgraded to a tropical storm.

The National Hurricane Center warned of catastrophic and life-threatening flash and urban flooding, including numerous significant landslides, in the southern Appalachian region on Friday. Flooding is also expected in Northwestern, northern, and southeast Florida on Friday.

Guests at the Magic Kingdom break out ponchos at Cinderella's Castle as bands of weather from Hurricane Helene move through Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Fla. on Sept. 26.<span class="copyright">Joe Burbank—Orlando Sentinel/AP</span>
Guests at the Magic Kingdom break out ponchos at Cinderella's Castle as bands of weather from Hurricane Helene move through Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Fla. on Sept. 26.Joe Burbank—Orlando Sentinel/AP
People fill sandbags at Helen Howarth Park ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Helene in Pinellas Park, Fla. on Sept. 25.<span class="copyright">Joe Raedle—Getty Images</span>
People fill sandbags at Helen Howarth Park ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Helene in Pinellas Park, Fla. on Sept. 25.Joe Raedle—Getty Images
Tanner Flynn stands in shallow water near crashing waves as Hurricane Helene passes offshore in St. Petersburg, Flag. on Sept. 26.<span class="copyright">Joe Raedle—Getty Images</span>
Tanner Flynn stands in shallow water near crashing waves as Hurricane Helene passes offshore in St. Petersburg, Flag. on Sept. 26.Joe Raedle—Getty Images
Flood waters wash over Guy Ford Road bridge on the Watauga River as Hurricane Helene approaches in the North Carolina mountains, in Sugar Grove on Sept. 26.<span class="copyright">Jonathan Drake—Reuters</span>
Flood waters wash over Guy Ford Road bridge on the Watauga River as Hurricane Helene approaches in the North Carolina mountains, in Sugar Grove on Sept. 26.Jonathan Drake—Reuters
A damaged 100-year-old home is seen after an Oak tree landed on it after Hurricane Helene moved through Valdosta, Ga, on Sept. 27.<span class="copyright">Mike Stewart—AP</span>
A damaged 100-year-old home is seen after an Oak tree landed on it after Hurricane Helene moved through Valdosta, Ga, on Sept. 27.Mike Stewart—AP
Workers clear debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Cedar Key, Fla., on Sept. 27.<span class="copyright">Gerald Herbert—AP</span>
Workers clear debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Cedar Key, Fla., on Sept. 27.Gerald Herbert—AP
Jesus Hernandez guides his granddaughter Angelina via a container through a street flooded in the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Mayabeque province, Cuba, on Sept. 26.<span class="copyright">Ramon Espinosa—AP</span>
Jesus Hernandez guides his granddaughter Angelina via a container through a street flooded in the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Mayabeque province, Cuba, on Sept. 26.Ramon Espinosa—AP
Flood waters inundate the main street after Hurricane Helene passed through Tarpon Springs, Fla. on Sept. 27.<span class="copyright">Joe Raedle—Getty Images</span>
Flood waters inundate the main street after Hurricane Helene passed through Tarpon Springs, Fla. on Sept. 27.Joe Raedle—Getty Images
A damaged gas station structure in Perry, Fla., on Sept. 27.<span class="copyright">Marco Bello—Reuters </span>
A damaged gas station structure in Perry, Fla., on Sept. 27.Marco Bello—Reuters
A woman looks at her dogs sitting on a sofa, as she stands inside her home that was flooded in the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Mayabeque province, Cuba, on Sept. 26.<span class="copyright">Ramon Espinosa—AP</span>
A woman looks at her dogs sitting on a sofa, as she stands inside her home that was flooded in the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Batabano, Mayabeque province, Cuba, on Sept. 26.Ramon Espinosa—AP
A capsized boat washes ashore as Hurricane Helene churns offshore in St. Petersburg , Fla. on Sept. 26.<span class="copyright">Joe Raedle—Getty Images</span>
A capsized boat washes ashore as Hurricane Helene churns offshore in St. Petersburg , Fla. on Sept. 26.Joe Raedle—Getty Images
An American flag sits in the floodwaters from Hurricane Helene in the Shore Acres neighborhood of St. Petersburg, Fla. on Sept. 27. <span class="copyright">Mike Carlson—AP</span>
An American flag sits in the floodwaters from Hurricane Helene in the Shore Acres neighborhood of St. Petersburg, Fla. on Sept. 27. Mike Carlson—AP

Write to Simmone Shah at simmone.shah@time.com.

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