'Catastrophic' Hurricane Helene makes landfall in Florida

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🗞️ Driving the news: Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region late Thursday, knocking out power for over a million people
• With winds of 140 mph, it caused significant flooding and a storm surge expected to reach up to 20 feet. Officials warned of catastrophic conditions, urging residents to evacuate

🔭 The context: Helene is one of the largest Gulf of Mexico storms in recent decades, with widespread power outages and damage across Florida’s west coast
• Airports have closed, and many residents are stuck either refusing to evacuate or unable to leave in time
• The National Hurricane Center has called the storm surge "unsurvivable" 

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Scientists attribute Helene’s rapid intensification to climate change, with warmer oceans providing more energy for stronger storms
• This hurricane is part of a larger pattern of increasingly severe weather events linked to rising global temperatures

⏭️ What's next: The storm is expected to move across multiple states, with warnings extending into Georgia and the Carolinas
• Search-and-rescue operations are being prepared, and authorities predict widespread flooding and potential landslides in the southern Appalachian region

💬 One quote: “This is going to be a multi-state event with the potential for significant impacts from Florida all the way to Tennessee,” said FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell

📈 One stat: Over 1,036,553 homes and businesses were without power shortly after Helene's landfall.

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