Hurricane Helene weakened to a tropical storm over Georgia with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph) early Friday, the National Hurricane Center said.
Much of Alexander County has already received over 6” of rain since Thursday morning, inundating rivers, roads, and neighborhoods - and the worst is still yet to come.
Forecasters say Helene has strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane as it races toward northwest Florida. The enormous storm is expected to make landfall Thursday night.
As preparations for next month's Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 weekend continue, Charlotte Motor Speedway opened its campgrounds Wednesday for evacuees seeking refuge from Hurricane Helene.
Fast-moving Hurricane Helene was advancing Thursday across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida, threatening an “unsurvivable” storm surge in northwestern parts of the state as well as damaging winds, rains and flash floods hundreds of miles inland across much of the southeastern U.S., forecasters said.