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Hurricane Helene is one of the most powerful storms to hit the United States with wind gust speeds of 140 mph (225 km/h) and heavy rain.
The storm made landfall in Florida as a category four hurricane but was downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved more inland.
However, it was the strongest storm on record to hit Florida's Big Bend and moved north into Georgia and the Carolinas after making landfall overnight on Thursday.
At least 45 people have died and millions have been left without power amid strong winds and flooding.
Insurers and financial institutions say damage caused by the storm could run into the billions of dollars.
Reuters
A local resident helps free a car that became stranded in a stretch of flooding road on the outskirts of Boone, North Carolina.
Reuters
Children walk past the collapsed portion of a bridge after flood waters destroyed it, in Boone, North Carolina
EPA
Members of the fire department's water rescue Team help a man in Atlanta, Georgia
Across the region many would wake to find damage from flooding.
Jonathan Drake/Reuters
Flood waters wash over Guy Ford Road bridge on the Watauga River as Hurricane Helene approaches the North Carolina mountains
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Flood waters in Tarpon Springs, Florida
Erik Lesser/EPA-EFE
Peachtree Park Apartments resident Candice Ocvil (left) and Jibri Tolenrow KAYAK through flood waters in Peachtree Creek, Georgia
In Peachtree Creek some residents took to boats to navigate the flood water while another set about cleaning up.
Erik Lesser/EPA-EFE
Peachtree Park Apartments resident Andrea Palese begins to clean up
Tampa Bay Times/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock
A home in Pinellas County, close to Tampa in Florida, was badly hit by the storm
Marco Bello/Reuters
Power lines and fallen trees lay on the ground in Crawfordville, Florida
As the flood water receded along the west coast of Florida, it left behind damaged or destroyed buildings.
Cristóbal Herrera/EPA-EFE
Cristóbal Herrera/EPA-EFE
EPA
An oak tree fell on a home in Anderson, South Carolina.
Ken Ruinard/The Anderson Independent Mail/USA TODAY NETWORK via REUTERS
Emergency teams, like these Marine deputies, were on hand to rescue those who required assistance.
Below an airboat transports residents rescued from flood waters due to storm surge in Crystal River.
Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock
Off the coast of Florida, a man and his dog were rescued by the US Coast Guard, while in St Petersburg a capsized boat washed ashore.
US Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Even before its arrival, the storm had caused power outages for more than one million people and severe flooding in several areas.
Trucks belonging to Duke Energy were pictured in line waiting to repair damage once the storm had passed.
Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Ahead of the Hurricane many residents moved to shelters like this one at a school in Tallahassee.
Octavio Jones/Reuters
Kathleen Flynn/Reuters
President Joe Biden and state authorities had urged people to heed official evacuation warnings before Helene hit, though some chose to stay in their homes to wait out the storm.
People boarded up windows and prepared their properties as best they could.
Cristóbal Herrera/EPA-EFE
Those who chose to stay stocked up with food to wait out the storm.
Cristóbal Herrera/EPA-EFE
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