"Record Flood Stage. This stage last occurred in April of 1791 according to Tennessee Valley Authority records. Catastrophic flooding of the Swannanoa River Valley is likely," the National Water Prediction Service posted on the river gauge's website.

The National Weather Service said Helene had cleared most of the Western North Carolina area by 11:21 a.m. Friday, but significant impacts including serious flooding were expected to continue into the weekend. Numerous areas and cities along the French Broad River are experiencing flooding and the river continues to rise.

Life won't soon be the same for communities in North Carolina's mountains after Tropical Storm Helene. Heartbreak in the hills: The French Broad and Swannanoa rivers swept through Asheville's well-known Biltmore Village and River Arts District.

Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida’s Gulf Coast, making landfall late Thursday as a powerful Category 4 storm, bringing with 140 mph winds, torrential rain and a record storm surge before moving inland across Georgia and the Carolinas.

Hurricane Helene has brought life-threatening storm surge to Florida. Video shows drivers trying to cross the Tampa Bay bridge before it was closed. Ocean water appears to almost overtake the entire bridge.