Flash Flood in Holmes County, Florida

Wrights Creek Road was flooded and closed.

Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and a minimum central pressure of 938 mb (27.70 inches) at about 11:10 PM EDT on Thursday, September 26th, in Taylor County Florida just east of the Aucilla River. Helene quickly moved inland across Taylor and Madison Counties before moving into Lowndes County in South Central Georgia. The hurricane produced a devastating storm surge along the coast of Apalachee Bay, exceeding 15 feet above normally dry ground in some locations. A large area of damaging winds extended from the Big Bend coast well-inland into Georgia along the I-75 corridor, causing significant damage. Wind gusts of at least 90 to 100 mph spread inland through Taylor, Madison, Lafayette Counties in Florida, and into Lowndes County in Georgia. Widespread power outages, structural damage, and severe tree damage occurred throughout this area. Significant rainfall also fell with the hurricane, with a maximum of 12 to 14 inches falling west of Tallahassee in the Apalachicola River Basin. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation estimated that Hurricane Helene caused $13.4 billion in insured losses in the state as of October 17. Uninsured losses were likely higher. Early estimates from Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services indicate between $500 million and $800 million in crop and farm infrastructure losses in Florida alone.