As Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida late Thursday night and moved into Georgia just after 2 a.m. Friday, metro Atlanta and its surrounding communities are bracing for torrential rain, heavy flooding and widespread power outages.

Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida as a Category 4 storm, bringing 140 mph winds and a “nightmare” storm surge that left over a million homes without power. With widespread flooding, extreme wind warnings,

In Valdosta, Georgia, search and rescue teams are trying to reach people trapped inside heavily damaged buildings, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said. "We are asking for patience as we prioritize critical medical emergencies and essential services,

The Waterville Dam in Tennessee, which sits across the state line from Newport, North Carolina, was declared a state of emergency. Residents in Newport, a town of 7,000 people, were ordered to get out on Friday afternoon.