Friday's Live Blog - Helene's catastrophic impacts continue

Helene made landfall at 11:10 p.m. ET last night near Perry, Fla., but the impacts continued. We looked at the damage and provided forecast updates through this blog.

Helene's remnants will continue to weaken through the night, with the heaviest precipitation shifting west and away from the hardest-hit areas by flooding. Higher rain chances return for Sunday into early next week for the Appalachians as the remnant low of Helene tracks back eastward over the area.

You can track the storm on WeatherRadar by tapping the image below. Remember to always turn on your alerts to stay ahead of impactful weather. Below is a recollection of updates from when the blog was live.

Earlier today, Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin, Tenn, was impacted by extreme flooding after Helene's heavy rain. This led to a critical situation where 54 patients and staff were trapped on the hospital roof, and seven others were in rescue boats. See the earlier update below.

Rising waters from the nearby Nolichucky River made roads impassable and prevented ambulances from reaching the hospital. High winds initially made helicopter rescues too dangerous, but by midday, helicopters could start evacuations.

The death toll from Helene continues to rise. At least 38 deaths have been reported so far, including seven in Florida, 11 in Georgia, two in North Carolina and 18 in South Carolina.

Our Weather Reporter, Jonathan Petramala, interviewed residents of Cedar Key, Fla. They told him that this was the worst destruction they had seen.

Power outages extend from Florida to Ohio. Currently, nearly 4 million homes and businesses are without power across the Southeast.

Flash flooding has been a significant issue with Helene. Asheville, N.C., has experienced historic flooding.

More than 50 patients and staff of the Unicoi County Hospital in East Tennessee are trapped on the roof due to severe flooding.

Helene has been downgraded to a tropical depression with winds sustained at 35 mph.

Sadly, at least 22 people have lost their lives due to Helene. T​he deaths include 11 in Georgia, seven in Florida, two in North Carolina and two in South Carolina.

The Lake Lure Dam in North Carolina is facing imminent failure and evacuations are now in place downstream of the Broad River.

Preliminary data indicates that some parts of Florida's Big Bend experienced more than 15 feet of storm surge.

The flood risk from Helene continues, with more rain on the way for the Southeast over the next 48 hours. Four rivers in North Carolina have reached new record crests: the Pigeon River at Canton, the French Broad River at Fletcher, the Swannanoa River at Biltmore and the West Fork Pigeon River at Bethel.

A man was spotted swimming in storm surge waters in Cedar Key, Fla. While it may be tempting to wade or swim through flood waters, they can be dangerous. Flood waters often contain sewage, dangerous debris, chemicals and wildlife that may pose a threat.

Helene is currently a tropical storm with sustained winds of 60 mph, moving north at 30 mph.

Helene's impacts have been felt all across the Southeast, especially in terms of power outages. Here's a look at the number of homes and businesses without power.