Hurricane Helene has tragically claimed its first life as a driver in Tampa was killed when a falling road sign crushed their car on Interstate 4 in the westbound lanes at mile marker 1. The Florida Highway Patrol referred to the incident as a “deadly crash,” but details regarding additional injuries or casualties remain unclear. Traffic cameras captured footage of the sign atop a vehicle as officials urged residents to avoid travel due to the impending storm.

As the hurricane’s eye wall approached Florida’s Big Bend region, Helene was upgraded to a Category 4 storm, prompting urgent warnings for nearly 40 million Americans. The National Hurricane Center has emphasized that this unusually large storm could have extensive impacts beyond Florida. Heavy rains began falling near the Florida-Georgia state line, with over a dozen Georgia counties bracing for winds up to 110 mph.

The hurricane center described the situation as “extremely dangerous and life-threatening,” advising residents to remain sheltered through the storm. Although the eye of the storm may bring a temporary calm, hazardous conditions will quickly return with the other side of the eye wall. As of 10 p.m. EST, the storm was located 65 miles south of Tallahassee, with sustained winds of 140 mph.

Severe flooding is anticipated across the Southeast, extending to North Carolina, with some areas expecting up to 18 inches of rainfall. As of 8:30 p.m. local time, over 500,000 homes and businesses in Florida were without power, particularly along the state’s west coast. Major energy providers, including Duke Energy and Florida Power & Light Company, reported significant outages, with each serving over 150,000 customers affected.