Preparations for Hurricane Helene in Florida show the strength of the storm

Hurricane Helene has not yet made landfall, but several communities in Florida have already been affected by the storm.

The storm was expected to cause devastating damage across the region overnight, leaving thousands of residents to contend with flooding, downed trees and power outages.

Hurricane Helene was expected to strengthen on Thursday. AccuWeather forecasters predicted the storm would be rated a Category 4 by the time it made landfall.

More than 70,000 people in four Florida counties, including Franklin, Taylor, Liberty and Wakulla, were ordered to evacuate Thursday. The impacts of Hurricane Helene will be deadly, especially for those living on the coast or in low-lying areas.

After the storm makes landfall in the Big Bend region of the state Thursday evening, Helene is expected to move toward the Tennessee Valley.

Dan DePodwin, senior director of forecast operations at AccuWeather, told USA TODAY that Helene, a “very dangerous” hurricane, has the potential to become a “once-in-a-generation storm.”

Photos: Hurricane Helene leaves its mark on Florida

Photos taken across Florida show the early impacts of Hurricane Helene in Florida, including flooding, destruction of power lines and strong winds.

Residents across Florida have been “hunkering down” or evacuating, depending on where they are. Schools, local businesses and airports were closed as a result of Hurricane Helene, USA TODAY reported.

Hurricane Helene Tracker

Hurricane Helene spaghetti models

The figures cover a range of forecasting tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center only uses the four or five best-performing models in its forecasts.

This story has been updated to correct a typo.

Featuring: Anthony Robledo, Gabe Hauari and Dinah Voyles Pulver

Photos: Hurricane Helene leaves its mark on Florida

Hurricane Helene Tracker

Hurricane Helene spaghetti models

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