(Tallahassee, FL) -- At least 20 people have died in the Southeast as a result of Hurricane Helene. The storm slammed Florida's Big Bend area as a monster Category 4 hurricane, and has been downgraded to a tropical storm. It's now pummeling Georgia and the Carolinas with dangerous rainfall and life-threatening flash flooding as it moves toward Tennessee. North Carolina's governor says this is one of the worst storms in modern history for parts of his state.
Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 35 mph (55 km/h) with higher gusts. Continued slow weakening is expected, and Helene is forecast to become extratropical later this afternoon. All Tropical Storm Warnings have been discontinued. There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.