Hurricane Helene updates: Death toll surpasses 230 as rescue efforts continue
Helene unleashed devastation across the Southeast.
More than 230 people have been killed from Hurricane Helene, which unleashed devastation across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.
Helene, which made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a massive Category 4 hurricane, has become the deadliest mainland hurricane since Katrina in 2005.
Latest headlines:
- 'Your nation has your back,' Joe and Jill Biden tell those in Helene's deadly path
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- Search and rescue efforts still underway in North Carolina
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- Hundreds of thousands still without power
Latest forecast
Helene is forecast to strengthen to a major Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds by 8 p.m. Thursday.
Landfall is expected Thursday night, between 10 p.m. and midnight, southeast of Tallahassee.
After landfall, the fast-moving Helene will push strong winds inland to northern Georgia.
On Friday morning, catastrophic flash flooding is a major threat from northern Georgia to Asheville, North Carolina. That area already saw up to 6 inches of rain over the last 24 hours from a separate storm, and Helene could drop another 10 to 20 inches of rain.
The remnants of Helene will stall over the weekend in the Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. Flooding is possible in Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas.
-ABC News’ Max Golembo
'Very large' Hurricane Helene nearing Category 3 winds
Helene is now a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds as it barrels toward the Florida Panhandle.
Category 3 -- which is considered a major hurricane -- begins when the storm’s winds reach 111 mph.
Helene is forecast make landfall Thursday night, between 10 p.m. and midnight, as a Category 3 hurricane with 120 winds.
Helene is "very large," so the storm's rain, wind and storm surge "will extend far away from the center and well outside the forecast cone, particularly on the east side," the National Hurricane Center warned.
"Comparing the system with previous hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico over the past couple of decades, Helene is at the upper bound in terms of size," the NHC said.
-ABC News’ Max Golembo
North Florida residents in evacuation zones should leave now: Governor
North Florida residents who are in evacuation zones should leave now, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned Thursday morning, since Hurricane Helene’s outer bands are quickly approaching the coast.
Florida’s Division of Emergency Management has partnered with Uber to provide free rides to shelters for Floridians under a state of emergency. Riders can use the code HeleneRelief, officials said.
At least 80 health care facilities -- including hospitals and nursing homes -- are evacuating, officials said.
One of the biggest hazards is falling trees, DeSantis said. He urged people to take cover if they hear trees cracking.
-ABC News’ Alex Faul
'Catastrophic' flooding in the forecast
Hurricane Helene is forecast to bring six to 12 inches of rain, with isolated totals around 18 inches, to the Southeast.
The intense rainfall could cause "catastrophic and potentially life-threatening" flooding, the National Hurricane Center warned.