When “Helene” hit “Big Bend” on Thursday evening in northwest Florida, it was assessed as “extremely dangerous” and categorized as a four on the five-point hurricane scale.
It is the first time a hurricane of that magnitude has hit Florida’s “Big Bend”.
Four states affected
“This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation,” the National Hurricane Center wrote.
The hurricane weakened, but at least 45 people in four states have died as a result.
Firefighters died
In South Carolina, 19 deaths are linked to the storm, including two firefighters, according to local authorities.
In Georgia, 15 deaths are reported, in Florida eight and in North Carolina two. Also in Virigina, one person died when a tree fell on a building.