VERIFIEDs Big Bend area late Thursday night but was rapidly weakening as it raced inland early Friday, the National Hurricane Center said. Helene was bringing a life-threatening storm surge, strong winds and heavy rain,

The region has endured two other hurricanes recently, but many more people appeared to be evacuating this time, leaving their small coastal towns eerily empty.

CRAWFORDVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Helene made landfall in northwestern Florida as a Category 4 storm as forecasters warned that the enormous system could create a “nightmare” storm surge and bring dangerous winds and rain across much of the southeastern U.S. There were at least three storm-related deaths.