ATLANTA — At least 15 deaths in Georgia are being blamed on Helene, which moved into the state as a hurricane just after midnight Friday.
Gov. Brian Kemp announced the fatalities in a midday update.
"We know that one of those is a first responder," he said Friday, "and one of our finest has lost his life trying to save others."
The Pierce County Fire Department reported a firefighter was killed in Blackshear, Georgia, when a tree fell on his vehicle. Vernon "Leon" Davis had been a firefighter for over 30 years, the department said and served as a part-time assistant fire chief.
Kemp announced early Friday morning that two people died in Wheeler County. The county's coroner said the pair were killed when a suspected tornado blew through the area in Middle Georgia, overturning their mobile home. They were found about 100 yards from their home, according to Wheeler County EMA.
Two others have been reported dead in Laurens County, according to reporting by 11Alive's sister station First Coast News. One death is being attributed to a vehicle crash.
Kemp did not offer any other details on the deceased.
Track Helene's path below:
The first death due to Hurricane Helene was reported in Tampa, when a sign fell on the road and hit a driver's car.
Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in the Big Bend area of Florida, about 10 miles west of Perry, according to the National Hurricane Center. It has since been downgraded to a tropical storm as it slowly moves north.
Live coverage of the aftermath:
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