Energy facilities along the U.S. Gulf Coast reduced operations and evacuated production sites as Hurricane Helene, initially a Category 4 storm, made landfall before weakening to a tropical storm. Helene roared ashore in Florida's Big Bend region as one of the most powerful storms to hit the United States,

Hurricane Helene escalated to a dangerous Category 3 hurricane Thursday afternoon as it headed toward Florida’s Gulf Coast as a massive, powerful storm. It was expected within hours to drown some rural, coastal communities in northern areas with a towering surge of up to 20 feet of seawater, plus torrential rains and destructive winds.