Live updates on Hurricane Helene: 132 dead, 40 of them in the hard-hit district

Georgia recorded a historic 11 inches of rainfall earlier this week from the combination of Hurricane Helene and a storm.

Helene triggered flash floods and mudslides, and the destruction included collapsed buildings, downed trees and downed power lines, officials said.

From the air, Gov. Brian Kemp said the damage “looks like a bomb went off.”

Seventeen people were killed in Helene, Georgia, and officials warned, “This number will most likely increase due to cleanup efforts and dangerous situations.”

Georgia Power CEO Kim Greene said Helene had “caused unprecedented damage.” She said Helene caused more than twice as much damage to the company’s distribution system and significantly more to the transmission grid compared to last year’s Hurricane Idalia, complicating recovery efforts.

Officials are urging residents to stay off the streets.

“Be patient, help your neighbor and thank these first responders,” Kemp said.