As Hurricane Helene roared outside, the wind howling and branches snapping, John Savage went to his grandparents’ bedroom to make sure they were OK.

South Carolina Fire Chief Chad Satcher and firefighter Landon Bodie were responding to Hurricane Helene Friday when a tree hit their fire engine.

Marcia and Jerry Savage are among the more than 180 people who died in one of the deadliest storms in U.S. history.

Across 23 counties, more than 3,500 homes have been reported damaged, with 196 considered destroyed by the tropical storm that hit early on Sept. 27

Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region Thursday night as a massive Category 4 hurricane -- the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the Big Bend on record.

Nearly 40 people have died after Hurricane Helene plowed through South Carolina last week. Heather Biance with the state Department of Public Safety said 39 people are confirmed to have suffered weather-related deaths following Helene.