Emergencies have been declared in several states as strong winds cut power to more than 250,000 properties.
Helene strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane hours ahead of its expected landfall on Florida's northwest coast yesterday night, and forecasters warned that the enormous storm could create a "nightmare" surge in coastal areas and bring dangerous winds and rain across much of the southeastern US.
The governors of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia have all declared emergencies in their states. And winds of up to 205 km/h have already left around 180,000 Florida homes and businesses without power. "Please write your name, birthday, and important information on your arm or leg in a PERMANENT MARKER so that you can be identified and family notified," the sheriff's office in mostly rural Taylor County warned those who chose not to evacuate in a Facebook post, the dire advice similar to what other officials have dolled out during past hurricanes.
Federal authorities were staging search-and-rescue teams as the National Weather Service office in Tallahassee forecast storm surges of up to six metres and warned they could be particularly "catastrophic and unsurvivable" in Apalachee Bay. "You live down here, you run the risk of losing everything to a bad storm," said Anthony Godwin, 20, who lives about 800 metres from the water in the coastal town of Panacea, as he stopped for gas before heading west toward his sister's house in Pensacola.The grandchildren and great grandchildren of Vera Kelly, of Tallahassee, sit together after evacuating.
In western Cuba, Helene knocked out power to more than 200,000 homes and businesses as it brushed past the island. And overnight curfews were imposed in many cities and counties in south Georgia, including Albany, Valdosta and Thomasville.
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