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 first known Category 4 storm to hit Florida’s Big Bend region since records began in 1851, maintained hurricane strength as it moved inland across northern Florida and into Georgia where it downgraded to a tropical storm about 5 a.m. ET.
Early Friday, the storm was racing north over Macon, Georgia, into southeast Atlanta at about 30 mph.
As of 9 a.m. ET Friday more than 3.8 million outages had been reported across the state, USA TODAY’s power outage tracker showed.
In Tampa Bay, one resident described seeing vanished beaches, boats crashed into homes, and businesses on fire.
“Complete devastation and loss here,” Vikki Hudson, who lives in Largo, about three miles from the coast told USA TODAY Friday. “The beaches are gone. Everything is underwater. Boats piled on top of houses and yards.”
Hudson said she saw Gulf Boulevard, which runs the St. Petersburg coastline north to Clearwater, “completely underwater.”
Hudson, who lives about 20 minutes from her two businesses at Treasure Island Beach − The Island Girl Tiki Bar and The Island Girl Beach Rentals − said she has not been able to check on her business as bridges are closed due to widespread flooding.
“We don’t know anything yet, we can not get to any of the barrier islands,” Hudson said.
Photos and social media footage showed boats overcome with water, downed utility poles, and more damage along Florida’s Gulf coast.
See damage left by Hurricane Helene in Tampa, Fort Myers, Naples
This story has been updated with new photos and videos.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.