Hurricane Helene warning as Category 4 storm hits USA and death toll rises

Hurricane Helene became a Category 4 hurricane on Thursday night and has made landfall in Florida, with residents warned not to travel

Hurricane Helene has claimed three lives as the Category 4 storm 's 130mph winds made landfall in the USA. The first fatality occurred when a sign crushed a car on the interstate in Tampa, Florida.

The hurricane, which was upgraded to a Category 4 with wind speeds estimated at 130mph just before making landfall in Florida on Thursday, has caused widespread disruption. Traffic cameras caught the moment a large highway sign collapsed onto a vehicle on the I-4 in Tampa.

As the hurricane strengthened, Florida officials have warned residents to stay off the roads and take shelter. However, social media shows pictures of drivers braving bridges, surrounded by the high winds and waves.

As the eye of Hurricane Helene hits the Big Bend area of Florida, an alert has been sent by the National Weather Service, according to the Mirror US. The storm has put 40 million Americans in the area on high alert due to its intensity.

Hurricane Helene warnings include predictions of a storm surge and winds reaching 130mph, which can indicate the potential for widespread damage. The US National Hurricane Center has issued a stark warning about the unusually powerful Hurricane Helene, with effects expected to be felt beyond Florida's borders.

Heavy rainfall began near the Florida-Georgia state line just after 7pm local time, and over a dozen Georgia counties are preparing for winds of up to 110 mph. The Hurricane Center said: "This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation. People should stay in their shelters and remain there through the passage of these life-threatening conditions."

The service also warned that when the storm's eye hits land, there will be a brief period of calm before the other side of the eye brings hazardous winds again. The storm was located 65 miles south of Tallahassee, Florida, in the early hours of this morning GMT, with sustained winds of 140mph.

Severe flooding is predicted across much of the southeast US, extending to North Carolina as the storm moves inland. Some areas, including Tallahassee, the Atlanta metropolitan region and western North Carolina, could see up to 18 inches of rainfall, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Over half a million homes and businesses in Florida were already without power before the storm even made landfall, due to widespread flooding and high winds causing infrastructure damage. The majority of power outages were reported along Florida's west coast, where Hurricane Helene was closing in. Major energy providers, Duke Energy and Florida Power and Light Company, each reported over 150,000 outages.

Several airports near the storm's landfall, including Tampa, Clearwater and Tallahassee, suspended flights, while Orlando International Airport remained operational despite 65 cancellations on Thursday.

Tornado warnings covered much of Florida and southeastern Georgia, expected to last until Friday. Although strong winds may cause structural damage, the storm surge poses the greatest threat from Helene.