In a rare press release, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned the public that Hurricane Helene would bring “catastrophic, life-threatening inland flooding” “even long after the storm makes landfall.”

“The flooding, rainfall, and high winds in Helene will not be limited to the Gulf Coast, but are expected to extend hundreds of miles inland,” the release said.

Helene’s effects will be felt as far as Appalachia, where recent rainfall has left some areas even more vulnerable to dangerous flooding.

“The greatest flood risk includes the urban areas surrounding Tallahassee, metro Atlanta, and western North Carolina, including Asheville,” the release said. “Extreme rainfall (i.e., torrential rain) in the mountainous region of the southern Appalachians is likely to inundate communities in its path with flash flooding, landslides, and extensive river and stream bank flooding.”

The magnitude of Helene’s threat is due to the storm’s unusual size.

“Helene is an unusually large storm, with a wind field extending up to 440 kilometers from the center,” the press release said.