Helene arrived as a Category 4 hurricane on the Florida coast, where it made landfall with “catastrophic” winds and storm surges.

The southeastern United States is in a state of high alert.

Hurricane Helene went up this Thursday to category 4 and touched the coast of northwest Florida at 11 pm EDT, reported the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Helene is moving in a north-northeast direction with maximum sustained winds of 215 km/h, according to the NHC, which said in its latest bulletin that it is “an extremely dangerous hurricane.”

On the Saffir-Simpson scale, the highest category of hurricane is category 5, with winds exceeding 250 km/h.

Authorities have urged the population to comply with evacuation orders, warning that storm will bring “catastrophic” winds and storm surges.

Helene is expected to make landfall as a Category 4 hurricane south of Tallahassee, the capital of Florida, which has not seen a storm of this magnitude in decades.

Helene also struck western Cuba. Strong winds and rain flooded roads, ripped roofs off homes and destroyed crops, forcing authorities to close schools and ports across much of the western half of the Caribbean island nation.

Map of the path of Hurricane Helene

State of emergency in Florida

Helene is expected to cause much of Florida’s west coast life-threatening storm surge of up to 6.3 metersin addition to damaging winds and severe flooding.

A flood watch has been issued from Florida to the southern Appalachians, with the hardest hit area expected to be the Big Bend region of Florida.

That’s where Hurricane Idalia made landfall in August 2023 and the area was also hit by Hurricane Debby last month.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared the state of emergency in almost every county in the state.

Numerous search and rescue teams have been mobilized if needed, DeSantis said Thursday, and shelters have been opened for residents in affected areas.

In the state of Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp also declared a state of emergency, as Helene is expected to head northwest after hitting northwest Florida.

click here to read more stories from BBC News Mundo.

You can also follow us on YouTube, instagram, TikTok, x, Facebook and in our new WhatsApp channelwhere you will find breaking news and our best content.

And remember that you can receive notifications in our app. Download the latest version and activate them.

• Alerts to the population and evacuations: Mexico prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Beryl
• Vast flooded areas and thousands without electricity: Jamaica accounts for the damage left by Hurricane Beryl
• “90% of the island was erased”: the devastating path of Hurricane Beryl through the Caribbean on its way to Mexico