Helene Latest: Live updates from Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas

Hurricane Helene weakened into a tropical storm over Georgia Friday morning after making landfall in northwest Florida as a Category 4 storm with a “nightmare” storm surge.

On Friday morning, the tropical storm was centered 80 miles east-northeast of Atlanta and was moving north at 30 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph.

At least 14 people died in four states as floods trapped people and knocked out power to more than 3 million customers in the southeastern U.S.

Catastrophic floods continue to pose a major threat to the region. Areas from northern Georgia to the southern Appalachians are expected to feel the worst on Friday. Flood warnings have also been issued for parts of Tennessee.

Helene hits Georgia

Helene caused at least 11 deaths in Georgia and was the cause of the first-ever flash flood in downtown Atlanta.

At least two people have died in Wheeler County, Georgia, after a trailer was damaged during a tornado. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, a third fatality in Georgia is also being investigated following reports of a vehicle crashing into a tree in Colquitt County.

Gov. Brad Kemp announced more deaths during a news conference Friday, but said he would wait until next of kin were notified before releasing more information. One of the fatalities was a Pierce County firefighter, according to reports.

More flooding is expected in northern Georgia on Friday.

Hurricane Helene makes landfall

Hurricane Helene made landfall at 11:10 PM EST on Thursday evening, approximately 16 miles west-southwest of Perry, Florida. It’s happening in the sparsely populated Big Bend region of the state, about 20 miles northwest of where Hurricane Idalia hit last year with almost the same force and caused widespread damage.

Helene was classified as a Category 4 with sustained winds of 200 km/h.

Flooding along the Florida coast began well before Hurricane Helene made landfall, and rapidly rising water levels were reported as far away as Fort Myers on the Gulf Coast.

Evacuation orders were in effect Friday morning in parts of several Florida counties due to storm surge and flooding.

Hurricane Helene in Tampa, St. Petersburg

At least one person has died in the Tampa, Florida, area after a crash on Interstate 4 that left a highway sign on the roof of a vehicle.

As Helene came ashore, tide gauges in the Tampa Bay area reached record highs.

Hundreds of people have been rescued from flooding in coastal areas of Tampa Bay, according to reports from FOX 13 in Tampa.

Residents of nearby St. Petersburg said they had never seen such flooding.

Helene hits North Carolina

Evacuations began in areas of western North Carolina on Friday morning. The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office, west of Asheville, said it was assisting with evacuations in Cruso, Clyde, Canton and lower-lying parts of Waynesville.

At least one death has been reported. Firefighters in Charlotte, North Carolina, say a tree fell on a house, trapping two people inside. One of the victims was taken to a local hospital, while the second victim was found dead at home.

At least seven flash flood warnings were also issued in western North Carolina, from Asheville to the Charlotte area.

Helena, South Carolina

One death has been reported so far during the storm in South Carolina. The Anderson County Coroner’s Office said a tree fell on a home in Anderson Friday morning.

Other storms to watch

Meanwhile, Hurricane John weakened again into a tropical storm Thursday evening after strengthening again to become a Category 1 hurricane earlier in the day. A so-called “zombie storm,” a storm that weakens and then strengthens again after returning to warm waters, it brought floods and landslides to the southwestern coast of Mexico.

Forecasters say Tropical Storm Isaac strengthened on Friday into a hurricane in the open Atlantic Ocean that could cause dangerous surf in parts of Bermuda.