One person has died so far from Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Taylor County around 11 p.m. on Thursday night as a Category 4 hurricane, Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference.

Meteorologists warned Tampa Bay residents that Helene's storm surge could reach 5 to 8 feet in flood-prone areas.

Hurricane Helene continued to intensify right up to landfall on the Big Bend coastal region of Florida, hitting the coast with sustained wind speeds of