The latest headlines from our US reporters sent straight to your inbox every weekday

Your briefing on the latest headlines from around the US

Your briefing on the latest headlines from around the US

Hurricane Helene is making its way through Georgia after bringing a “catastrophic and deadly storm surge” to Florida’s Big Bend coast on Thursday.

The storm is currently in the southern region of the state and has passed by Valdosta with “life-threatening storm surges, winds and heavy rain,” the National Hurricane Center said.

Helene barreled into Florida around 11:10 PM ET Thursday evening as a Category 4 hurricane before weakening to a Category 1 storm as it charted a path toward Georgia with maximum sustained winds of about 90 miles per hour.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for all 159 counties on Thursday, saying: “The current forecast for Hurricane Helene suggests this storm will impact every part of our state.”

“We take nothing for granted and that is why I have directed the appropriate government agencies to work around the clock to ensure that we are prepared for whatever comes our way,” he added.

According to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, at least three people have died so far as a result of the storm, including a driver who was killed when a sign fell on their car in Tampa.

The other two victims died in Wheeler County, Georgia, after their trailer was picked up and dragged along Highway 19 before ending up in a field, said Steve Adams, director of the Wheeler County Emergency Management Agency.

Helene is expected to turn west during the day and travel toward Tennessee through the Appalachian Mountains before entering Kentucky in the Bowling Green area around 8 p.m.

Tropical storm force winds are expected to extend as far as Kentucky around 2 p.m. Friday afternoon before reaching Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Alabama.

A hurricane or tropical storm warning is in effect for all of Florida as of Friday morning, with evacuation orders in place for several counties.

“This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation,” the National Hurricane Center said an hour before the storm made landfall. “Individuals should not leave their shelters and remain in place during the expiration of these life-threatening conditions.”

The NHC warned that a catastrophic and deadly storm surge up to 20 feet high would hit parts of the Big Bend coast, with the “danger of a life-threatening storm surge” across the entire west coast of the Florida peninsula.

Hurricane Helene is the fourth hurricane to make landfall in the US this year, just over a month after Storm Debby slammed into the Sunshine State