PERRY, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Helene left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the southeastern U.S. on Friday, killing at least 44 people, snapping towering oaks like twigs and tearing apart homes as rescue crews launched desperate missions to save people from floodwaters.

Helene was one of the most powerful storms to hit Florida’s Big Bend in a lifetime, and damages across the region are mounting from the water and wind.

As Hurricane Helene approached on the evening of Sept. 26, Southwest Florida faced dangerous flooding with rescue operations underway.