Hurricane Helene forged a devastating path of floods and wind damage after slamming into Florida’s Big Bend region on Thursday night, submerging much of the state’s Gulf Coast before continuing its destructive march through Georgia and into the mountains of Appalachia.

"Record Flood Stage. This stage last occurred in April of 1791 according to Tennessee Valley Authority records. Catastrophic flooding of the Swannanoa River Valley is likely," the National Water Prediction Service posted on the river gauge's website.