Helene leaves 25 dead in Georgia, state of emergency declared in Atlanta

A mailbox is submerged along Bohler Road Friday, Sept 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)

This story was updated on Monday, Sept. 30 at 10:46 a.m.

Helene entered Georgia as a Category 2 hurricane early Friday morning, bringing wind gusts as high as 100 mph and leaving streets and waterways flooded, nearly 1 million people without power and at least 25 people dead — including one first responder.

“One of our finest has lost his life trying to save others,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said at a Friday press conference. At a Monday press conference, he confirmed that the number of deaths from Helene had increased to 25.