Follow along as we track Helene's path from the Gulf of Mexico to Asheville, North Carolina, as well as its devastating impact across the Southeast.

Hurricane Helene entered the Gulf of Mexico on Sept. 24, 2024, as a Category 1 hurricane. As the system passed through the Gulf, abnormally high seasonal temperatures exacerbated the storm’s strength, building it up to a Category 4 hurricane over the next two days.

On Sept. 26, Helene made landfall in the Florida Big Bend region with wind speeds of 140 mph, bringing catastrophic flooding, extreme winds and tornadoes that devastated the southeastern U.S. and southern Appalachia.

The system approached the border of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina late in the day on Sept. 26, causing widespread destruction from flooding, landslides and strong winds. Hurricane-force winds spread as far east as coastal Georgia and southern South Carolina, and as far northwest as western North Carolina.

By the time Helene hit Asheville, it had “downgraded” to a tropical storm. However, eight to 10 inches of predecessor rainfall in the days prior caused the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers to swell, resulting in up to 30 inches of rain in the hardest hit areas.

On Sept. 27, the storm headed north, downgrading into a post-tropical storm as it moved into southern Kentucky. The storm made a slow, cyclonic loop and dissipated shortly after over north central Tennessee.