Hurricane Helene killed and destroyed far and wide — from Tampa to Atlanta to Asheville, North Carolina, its high winds, heavy rains and sheer size created a perfect mix for devastation.

Helene made landfall late Thursday, September 26, as a major category 4 hurricane in the Florida Big Bend region just east of the mouth of the Aucilla River. At landfall, maximum sustained winds were 140 mph. It turned northward as it entered the state of Georgia, steered by a large area of low pressure to the west.

The death toll from Hurricane Helene has reached at least 44. Helene has left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the entire southeastern U.S.

Hurricane Helene was big, strong and fast, making it a near-perfect storm to bring widespread death and destruction to the American South.

Hurricane Helene ravaged much of the Southeast last week, carving a path of destruction from Florida to Appalachian states as it spawned deadly flooding, mudslides and tornadoes. After making landfall on Thursday on Florida’s Gulf Coast,

Millions across the southeastern United States are reeling after Hurricane Helene roared ashore overnight. Now a tropical storm, Helene made landfall late Thursday on Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 hurricane – the strongest on record to strike the area.