Category 4 Hurricane Helene roars into Florida as state braces for ’potentially unsurvivable’ surge

A lethal Category 4 Hurricane Helene roared Thursday night to Florida's northwest coast with 140 mph winds, leaving hundreds of thousands without power and raising fears of a “potentially unsurvivable” storm surge.

Forecasters warned that coastal flooding will likely be prevalent in the Sunshine State and across the Southeast through the weekend.

Widespread power outages have already been reported in Florida, according to The Associated Press. 

According to the outlet, over 600,000 Florida homes and businesses didn't have power by 9:00 p.m.

The biggest fears, however, focused on the forecasted 20-foot storm surge, which the National Weather Service in Tallahassee called "catastrophic and potentially unsurvivable."

President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in Alabama on Thursday, ahead of landfall.

Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina governors have already declared state of emergencies.