‘Life-threatening’ conditions as storm churns over Georgia

Various hurricane and tropical storm warnings across Florida have been lifted or downgraded as Helene makes it way north across Georgia, the National Hurricane said in its 5 a.m. ET update, which reclassified Helene as a tropical storm.

• Hurricane and tropical storm warnings were discontinued along Florida’s east coast south of the Flagler-Volusia County line, the National Hurricane Center said in a 5 a.m. update.
• A hurricane warning across the northern Florida coast, from the mouth of the Suwannee River to Mexico Beach, has been downgraded to a tropical storm warning.
• A tropical storm warning covering the Florida Gulf coast west of Indian Pass has ended.
• A storm surge warning for the Florida coast west of Indian Pass and south of Bonita Beach has also ended.
• A storm surge warning is however still in effect for Indian Pass to Bonita Beach, and Tampa Bay.

The sheer extent of the damage caused by Hurricane Helene won’t become clear until the sun comes up, but already the affected region’s power network is in tatters, with 2 million in the dark.

In Florida, 1.2 million people are without power, as well as 683,000 in Georgia and 242,000 in South Carolina, according to PowerOutage.us.

Helene hit last night as a Category 4 storm, the second strongest possible rating on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The National Hurricane Center’s guide to hurricane strength says that power infrastructure could be damaged for weeks or even months in the event of such a storm.

People in Georgia should continue to shelter from Hurricane Helene and stay away from windows during what the National Hurricane Center this morning called a “dangerous and life-threatening situation.”

The NHC said in a 4 a.m. ET update that the storm was moving rapidly inland through the state, bringing winds of up to 77 mph and heavy rain.

Hurricane Helene has eased to a Category 1 storm, but still poses a huge threat across 12 states. NBC News’ Jay Gray reports from Tallahassee, Florida, where residents dodged a direct hit.