Helene, the most powerful hurricane to strike Apalachee Bay and one that threatened Tallahassee with a direct hit, made landfall late Thursday in Taylor County.

Since late Tuesday, a mandatory evacuation has been in effect for the approximately 22,000 residents of Taylor County — but, for those who chose to stay behind, the Division of Emergency Management is asking them to make identifying their body easier after the storm — by writing their name on an arm or leg with a permanent marker.

‘Ask everyone to pray for us’: Taylor County residents evacuate before Hurricane Helene makes landfall in the Big Bend TAYLOR COUNTY, Fla. – Taylor County in the Florida Panhandle is under a mandatory evacuation as Hurricane Helene heads for landfall in the Big Bend.

Helene, the most powerful hurricane to strike Apalachee Bay and one that threatened Tallahassee with a direct hit, made landfall late Thursday in Taylor County.

Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, smacked into the Big Bend Thursday night with a wrath the area has never before seen. The rain and wind left thousands without power. Some of the hardest hit counties — Taylor,

Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida's Big Bend region late Thursday, bringing catastrophic storm surges which have destroyed buildings. The National Hurricane Center said that Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane.

Hurricane Helene made landfall as an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm in Florida's Big Bend region, with maximum sustained winds near 140 mph.

Hurricane Helene, one of the most powerful storms to hit the U.S., made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region late Thursday night, bringing deadly winds and widespread destruction. The Category 4 storm,