PERRY, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Helene left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the southeastern U.S. on Friday, killing at least 44 people, snapping towering oaks like twigs and tearing apart homes as rescue crews launched desperate missions to save people from floodwaters.

Follow along here for the latest Helene updates on Friday. South Carolina is bracing for the impact of Hurricane Helene, which is set to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle Thursday night as a major hurricane,

Predictions include heavy rain, winds and possible flooding for portions of the Southeast. Here’s how the storm will affect North Carolina.

Helene prompted hurricane and flash flood warnings extending up into northern Georgia and western North Carolina. The governors of Florida, Georgia, Alabama,