AUSTIN (KXAN) — Meteorologist Kristen Currie is in Florida, giving us a firsthand look at Hurricane Helene and its impacts.
Helene made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region Thursday night as a Category Four hurricane. It weakened to a tropical storm over Georgia by Friday, but not without knocking out power for 3 million in the southeast U.S. and taking a few lives, according to The Associated Press.
Currie is joined by photojournalist Jordan Belt and field producer Rick Taylor. Catch her live reports from Florida on KXAN’s evening newscasts.
Aftermath of Helene
By Friday morning, Currie and her team shifted focus to damage in Tallahassee. Currie said the initial assessment found more than 50 roads blocked by downed trees, with nine power transmission lines, six substations and 46 circuits out.
Widespread winds clocking in at 140 mph also took down power lines. Here’s a look at some of the damage photos Currie sent back to KXAN.
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Damage from Hurricane Helene in Tallahassee, Florida (KXAN Photo/Kristen Currie) -
Damage from Hurricane Helene in Tallahassee, Florida (KXAN Photo/Kristen Currie) -
Damage from Hurricane Helene in Tallahassee, Florida (KXAN Photo/Kristen Currie) -
Damage from Hurricane Helene in Tallahassee, Florida (KXAN Photo/Kristen Currie)
During the storm
Around 10 p.m. Thursday, Currie gave a live update from Tallahassee, just as hurricane-force winds were starting to take over the area. She said she anticipated street flooding to pick up and more tree limbs to break as the storm moved over the city.
Currie also posted a video of the outer eyewall of Helene hitting Tallahassee just before 11 p.m. Thursday. She said this is the strongest storm on record for this part of Florida.
Preparations before the storm
Currie and her team arrived in Tallahassee early Thursday morning.
Many businesses in the area were boarding up and placing sandbags before the storm hit. A LongHorn Steakhouse manager told Currie in his 14 years here, they’ve never boarded up the business.
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Local businesses in Tallahassee, Florida, board up before Hurricane Helene makes landfall. (KXAN Photo/Kristen Currie) -
Local businesses in Tallahassee, Florida, board up before Hurricane Helene makes landfall. (KXAN Photo/Kristen Currie) -
Local businesses in Tallahassee, Florida, prepare for Hurricane Helene. (KXAN Photo/Kristen Currie) -
Local businesses in Tallahassee, Florida, board up before Hurricane Helene makes landfall. (KXAN Photo/Kristen Currie)
Currie also relayed information from Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state of Florida about one of their main concerns — downed trees and power outages.
More than 50% of the city of Tallahassee has tree canopy, with 78 miles of roadway lined with trees, according to Currie. This posed a significant risk for power outages and debris with the high winds from the storm.
DeSantis also mentioned 3,500 National Guard soldiers were available for response, with another 2,000 on standby. Currie caught a glimpse of some of those soldiers in a hotel.
Although Tallahassee is more inland, Currie also talked about the “extreme storm surge” folks along the Gulf Coast would experience — up to 15 to 20 feet.
This story will be updated as Currie and her team’s coverage develops. You can follow Currie on social media: X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.