Military bases across the southeastern U.S. were still assessing damage to their facilities Friday after Helene made landfall in Florida the previous evening as a Category 4 hurricane, causing massive flooding and deaths.

More than 4,000 National Guard members were deployed to assist in the wake of the storm, which had winds of about 130 mph but was quickly downgraded to a tropical storm early Friday morning as it began to weaken. The storm's path resulted in storm surges, power outages and widespread flooding, including at bases such as MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.

“MacDill AFB experienced significant storm surge (matching local record water levels) and flooding is still occurring in low-lying areas of the base,” the installation said on its Facebook page. “We expect the water to recede more quickly after the high tide and throughout the day. “In addition, power is out across much of the base and there is a large amount of debris on the streets.”

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As Helene moved into Georgia, causing more flooding in the Southeast and moving further into the Tennessee Valley, many bases began assessing damage and began cleanup efforts.

“Cleanup efforts are underway across the base as Marines clean up yard waste and debris caused by the storm,” Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in South Carolina said on Facebook Friday. Similarly, Moody Air Force Base in Georgia wrote: “Hazardous conditions continue to exist, including downed trees, power lines and debris.”

Air Force officials told Military.com they did not see any major damage as of Friday afternoon.

Navy facilities near Helene's Path “have sustained minor damage, such as from fallen trees,” Navy Region Southeast spokesman Arwen FitzGerald told Military.com, adding that “all installations are now fully operational and operational.” .

Army officials did not respond in time for publication.

Many air bases in the south began evacuating aircraft earlier this week in anticipation of the storm. Tyndall Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle moved F-35 fighter jets to Nevada and Oklahoma; Moody Air Force Base transferred C-130s, A-10s and HH-60s to Mississippi; Joint Base Charleston, S.C., deployed C-17s to Ohio, Delaware and Maryland; and MacDill relocated KC-135 to Maine and New Hampshire.

Pentagon officials told Military.com that the Navy moved four ships and some aircraft from Naval Station Mayport in Florida ahead of the storm and secured the remaining ships.

According to the Pentagon, hundreds of National Guard troops have been deployed to support their states, including about 3,900 in Florida, an estimated 350 in North Carolina, 300 in Georgia and about 40 in Alabama.

President Joe Biden's administration approved pre-landfall emergency declarations for Florida, Georgia and North Carolina on Thursday. Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said in a news release that “people need to take this seriously.”

According to CNN on Friday afternoon, the storm had killed at least 25 people in four states.

Related: Coast Guard rescues man and dog off Florida during Hurricane Helene

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