Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend but has now weakened to a tropical storm. Follow power outages in the state here.

Almost 1.3 million customers in Florida were without power as the Helene moved inland over the Big Bend area of Florida's Gulf Coast.

USA TODAY's power outage map showed more than 200,000 without power in Pinellas County and more than 900,000 statewide by 11:45 p.m. Thursday. Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

The immense task of preparing for Hurricane Helene, a storm so large that no part of Florida may be untouched by wind, rain or storm surge, fell disproportionately on Wednesday to the frustrated people of the Gulf Coast,

Hurricane Helene intensified into a major Category 3 hurricane on Thursday with 120 mph sustained winds, with the National Hurricane Center predicting it will grow further bringing devastation to Florida’s Gulf Coast and inland toward Tallahassee.

Channel 9 investigative reporter Shannon Butler is in Florida’s Big Bend area as residents prepare for catastrophic damage from Hurricane Helene.