With ferocious winds of up to 140 mph, Hurricane Helene strengthened to a Category 4 storm ahead of making landfall in Florida. Officials expected a catastrophic storm surge of 15 to 20 feet and feared extensive damage and fatalities.
“It’s going to be hard for a storm of this strength not to cause some type of potential fatalities, especially if you’re in a low lying area,” said Florida’s State Fire Marshal and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis.
After landfall, it is expected to charge through Georgia and maintain a Category 2 status, with winds exceeding 100 mph, into the early morning hours on Friday.
