Hurricane Helene Causes Power Outages in Georgia

Hurricane Helene has caused widespread power outages across Georgia, with nearly 1 million residents still without electricity as recovery efforts continue. As of Friday afternoon, the number of outages decreased from over 1 million to 999,431, affecting 20.4% of Georgia Power customers. The storm initially made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane before weakening to a tropical system upon reaching Georgia. Ten counties are reported to have complete power outages, with Bryan and Columbia counties experiencing the most severe impacts, at 96.5% and 93.5% outages, respectively. Overall, more than 2 million homes and businesses across several states are without power, with reports of three fatalities linked to the storm. Authorities are urging residents to follow local advisories for safety during recovery efforts.