CRAWFORDVILLE, Fla. –
Hurricane Helene strengthened into a Category 4 storm ahead of its expected landfall on Florida’s northwest coast Thursday night as forecasters warned that the enormous system could create a “nightmare” storm surge and bring dangerous winds and rain across much of the southeastern U.S.
Helene prompted hurricane and flash flood warnings extending far beyond the coast up into northern Georgia and western North Carolina. Strong winds already cut power to over 320,000 homes and businesses in Florida, according to the tracking site poweroutage.us. The governors of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas and Virginia all declared emergencies in their states.
The hurricane’s eye was about 90 miles (145 kilometres) south of Tallahassee, Florida, and had sustained winds of 140 mph (225 km/h), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. It was moving north-northeast at 24 mph (39 km/h), and life-threatening storm surges of up to 20 feet (6 metres) were expected …