TALHAASSEE, Fla. – Major Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida as a catastrophic Category 4 cyclone, lashing the region with hurricane-force winds and threatening a potentially “unsurvivable” 20-foot storm surge and flooding rain.

Helene made landfall in the Taylor County, Florida area, between Tallahassee and Tampa, 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 several tornado warnings.

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Power outages are increasing as winds from Hurricane Helene batter Florida

Power outages have increased dramatically as downtown Helene has moved to the coast. More than 800,000 people were without power in the Sunshine State as wind gusts approached or exceeded hurricane force. St. Petersburg recorded a wind gust of 80 mph, while Sarasota recorded a gust of 74 mph.

Significant outages were also reported in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

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FOX Weather’s Ian Oliver said the wave quickly flooded the streets around St. Pete Beach Thursday evening, with high tide just hours away.

And further south, in a community called Sunset Beach, the local fire department said it would no longer respond to calls for help because of the flooding.

Clearwater Beach reported its highest rise since at least the 1993 Superstorm, with levels exceeding 8 feet.

HURRICANE HELENE TRACK: LIVE CONE FORECAST, SPAGHETTI MODELS, WARNINGS, WIND PROJECTION AND MORE

Storm surge remained a serious threat during the system’s passage through the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Due to the storm’s enormous size, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Helene posed a significant risk of life-threatening storm surge along the entire west coast of the Florida Peninsula and the Big Bend region of Florida.

The highest flooding, with as much as six meters of storm surge, was expected from Carrabelle to the Suwannee River in Florida. In other locations, such as Apalachicola and Chassahowitzka, a storm surge of 3 to 4 meters was expected.

“Catastrophic and deadly storm surge is likely along portions of Florida’s Big Bend coast, where flooding could reach as much as 20 feet above ground level, along with destructive waves,” the NHC warned. The National Weather Service in Tallahassee called the expected storm surge in Apalachee Bay “catastrophic and possibly insurmountable.”

Helene’s effects are felt far inland

Helene’s impact will be felt well beyond the Big Bend coastal area, with hurricane-force winds likely across Tallahassee and Georgia as the storm rages inland overnight into Friday morning. The combination of the storm’s speed and size means it will maintain strength further inland than most hurricanes.

“Phase 2 of the storm will occur tonight as Helene makes landfall,” said FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Byran Norcross. “Based on everything we know, damage will be widespread around Tallahassee to the east and west and far north into Georgia. These are densely forested communities that cannot handle extreme winds. Power could be out for weeks.”

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

WHERE IS HELENE GOING TO FLORIDA? SOUTHEAST, MID ATLANTIC MAY SEE CATASTROPHIC FLOODING

Fatal crash reported along Interstate 4 in Tampa.

(FDOT/FOX Weather)

During the hurricane, the Florida Highway Patrol reported responding to a serious crash along Interstate 4 with the possibility of one fatality.

In a video from the Florida Department of Transportation, a highway sign appeared to be loose and resting 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 leaves the region.