In a 4 a.m. update, the National Hurricane Center said, “Helene continues to move inland over central Georgia, producing hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall.”

“This is a dangerous and life-threatening situation,” the center said.

“A University of Georgia weather station in Vidalia, Georgia recently reported a wind gust of 77 mph. An ASOS station at Savannah International Airport in Georgia recently reported sustained winds of 49 mph (79 km/h) with a gust of up to 76 mph (122 km/h),” it added.

Joe Biden has said he is “closely monitoring Hurricane Helene.”

“I urge everyone in and near Helene’s path to listen to local officials and heed evacuation warnings,” he said.

Hurricane force is moving further into Georgia

Tell us: Were you affected by Hurricane Helene?

What is a storm surge and what is the threat from Hurricane Helene?

Hurricane Helene is the most powerful storm to hit the US mainland since then Idaliawhich crashed into Florida at Keaton Beach on August 30 last year.

Similar in strength and location at landfall to Helene, Idalia followed a nearly identical path through the Gulf of Mexico on its way to becoming the third strongest cyclone to hit Florida’s Big Bend.

Such was its force that Florida’s famous flamingos were spotted as far north as Ohio and Pennsylvania in the storm’s aftermath. Idalia was blamed for twelve fatalities in the US and caused damage estimated at $3.6 billion. Officials fear Helene’s toll could be much worse.

These are the five costliest hurricanes in the US, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): 1, 2005 Katrina ($200 billion damage; 1,200 deaths); 2, Harvey 2017 ($160 billion; 107); 3, January 2022 ($118.5 billion; 161); 4, Maria 2017 ($115.2 billion; 3,059); 5, Sandy 2012 ($88.5 billion; 233).

NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS), which orbits 260 miles above Earth, captured this video of Hurricane Helene in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday.

The images show that the storm, which had winds of 100 miles per hour at the time, began to grow in size and intensity in the hours just before landfall.

ISS and satellite images from space have proven invaluable after previous hurricanes, helping officials assess the extent of damage and plan recovery and restoration efforts.

Helene may not be the strongest hurricane to hit the US, but it is certainly one of the largest.

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), it is larger than 90% of all other tropical cyclones that have formed in the Atlantic Ocean or the Caribbean over the past two decades, with a wind field nearly 500 miles wide. That’s the same distance from Indianapolis to Washington DC, says CNN, or from London to Glasgow.

It means that areas far inland that normally escape the devastation of even the most powerful storms will be hit this time. During a lunch advisory Thursday, NHC senior hurricane specialist said Johannes Cangialosi said strong wind gusts could be expected in northern Georgia, the Carolinas and the southern Appalachians:

Helene is a very large hurricane. Comparing the system to previous Gulf of Mexico hurricanes in recent decades, Helene is at the upper limit in size.

As a result, the effects of storm surges, wind and rain will extend far from the center and well beyond the forecast cone, especially on the eastern side.

Thursday evening was all about it Florida was under storm watches or warnings, and governor Ron DeSantis had declared a state of emergency in 61 of the 67 provinces.

North Carolina‘s governor Roy Cooper warned of “significant flash flooding, landslides, damaging debris flows, slope failures on steep terrain and river flooding” in his state.

“Even areas that don’t typically experience this could experience flooding,” he said.

At least three dead when Hurricane Helene makes landfall