Hurricane Helene made landfall overnight in the southern U.S. state of Florida as a powerful category four storm. The National Hurricane Center has warned Helene will create "unsurvivable conditions" in parts of the state.
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00:00As the ocean swelled and winds picked up, Florida, a U.S. state of over 22 million people,
00:11braced for the impact as Hurricane Helene made landfall.
00:19Gaining strength as it moved towards the southeastern U.S., Helene was at Category 4 when it made
00:25landfall.
00:26Helene was downgraded twice throughout the night, to a Category 2, then 1 hurricane,
00:33as Florida absorbed the brunt of the storm's force.
00:37With winds exceeding 200 kilometers per hour and storm surges of up to 20 feet, the federal
00:44government warned the hurricane's impact will extend far beyond Florida.
00:48I just want everybody to know that this is going to be a multi-state event with the potential
00:54for significant impacts from Florida all the way to Tennessee.
00:59The U.S. National Hurricane Center is warning the storm will create unsurvivable conditions
01:04in parts of Florida.
01:06Evacuation orders were in place across the state, with one county sheriff's office asking
01:11those who don't leave to write their personal details in permanent marker on their arm or
01:16leg in case they need to be identified.
01:20Some residents followed the warnings, with the danger already impossible to ignore.
01:26So when I saw the floodwaters already halfway up to my house, I thought, man, I need to
01:30go.
01:31Others said they'd prefer to hunker down and weather the storm.
01:35I'm just going to say I ain't worried about it.
01:38I got faith and I trust in my faith that God's going to keep me safe, so I'm not worried
01:43about it.
01:44Speaking at a press conference as the storm made landfall, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
01:49urged people to take refuge, confirming at least one death in the state, warning the
01:55worst is likely yet to come.
01:57And so when Floridians wake up tomorrow morning, we're going to be waking up to a state where
02:03very likely there's been additional loss of life, and certainly there's going to be loss
02:10of property.
02:12Striking just before midnight on Friday, the extent of Hurricane Helene's destruction will
02:17become clearer when the sun rises as the storm continues north, deep into the heart
02:23of the U.S. south.
02:25Eason Chen and Rhys Ayres for Taiwan Plus.