For several hours, the storm maintained hurricane strength as it pushed inland across northern Florida and into Georgia. By 5 a.m. ET, the National Hurricane Center said Helene was a tropical storm with sustained winds of 70 mph.

Helene arrived barely a year since Hurricane Idalia slammed into Florida's Big Bend and caused widespread damage. Idalia became a Category 4 in the Gulf of Mexico but made landfall as a Category 3 near Keaton Beach, with maximum sustained winds near 125 mph (205 kph).