The “extremely dangerous” Hurricane Helene made landfall in the US state of Florida on Thursday night, with officials warning of “unsurvivable” conditions and a potentially catastrophic storm surge high enough to swamp a two-storey house.

CRAWFORDVILLE, Fla. — Hurricane Helene roared ashore as a powerful Category 4 storm in a sparsely populated region of Florida, peeling the siding from buildings, trapping residents in rising floodwaters and knocking out power to millions of customers. At least five people were reported dead.

Less than 10 days after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, the state is bracing for another potentially devastating blow from a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico.