Hurricane Helene forged a devastating path of floods and wind damage after slamming into Florida’s Big Bend region on Thursday night, submerging much of the state’s Gulf Coast before continuing its destructive march through Georgia and into the mountains of Appalachia.

Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane about 11:10 p.m. ET near Perry, Florida, with 140 mph winds, the National Hurricane Center reported. The storm, which now marks the

Heavy rain from Hurricane Helene has caused flooding in Sarasota and Fort Myers, Florida; Savannah and Augusta, Georgia; and Knoxville, Tennessee.