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,

Helene is expected to bring massive amounts of life-threatening storm surge to nearly the entire Gulf Coast. Forecasters now expect up to 20 feet of storm surge above ground in the Big Bend area. But damaging levels will be felt further south, including up to 8 feet above ground in the Tampa Bay area.