I covered Hurricane Helene for nine days - riding the storm out in Tallahassee and arriving in Steinhatchee, Florida - as the sun rose for the first time after landfall.

That evening I headed north and made it to Asheville the next afternoon, with a quick morning stop in Valdosta, Ga.

I wish I had time to write more about what I experienced, but I’ve got to get ready for Milton. To see more detailed captions, more photos or to license the photos please see Getty Images. All photos by Sean Rayford for Getty Images.

These photos appear below in the order I made them.

If you’d like to contribute to future coverage of these events, my paypal and venmo handles are @seanrayford