Hurricane Helene is barreling its way through Florida on Thursday and is expected to effect the Fayetteville area on Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The National Hurricane Center issued an advisory on Wednesday for the hurricane, which is expected to make landfall over Florida on Thursday.

Hurricane Helene weakened to a tropical depression over the Carolinas with maximum sustained winds of 30 mph (48 kph) by early afternoon Friday, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm will continue to weaken as it continues to move north across Georgia.

Watch from Clearwater, Florida, on Friday 27 September after Hurricane Helene roared ashore the state's Big Bend region as one of the most powerful storms to hit the United States. At least one fatality in Florida has been blamed on the hurricane so far,

Helene was upgraded to a hurricane after rapidly strengthening in the Caribbean on Wednesday. Forecasters warned that the storm would intensify as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico on a path to Florida. AP video by Dan Christian N.