Florida's first hurricane in over a decade left at least one person dead and hundreds of thousand of people without power Friday morning.

Hurricane Hermine hit Florida's Gulf Coast around 1:30 a.m. ET, destroying numerous buildings with heavy rainfall and 80 mph winds. More than 70,000 Tallahassee residents lost power, along with about 183,000 others statewide.

In Marion County, located south of Gainesville, a man of undetermined age was killed when a tree fell onto a tent in a homeless camp, according to county officials.

The National Weather Service reports that Pinellas County recorded 22.36 inches of rain over the past 72 hours; 15.23 inches fell in nearby Largo.

With heavy rains already flooding areas of St. Petersburg and Tampa - and counties ranging from Wakulla to Leon - local authorities are warning Floridians about the risks of braving such conditions, given the dangers of downed trees and power lines

"We will spend the coming days assessing the damage and responding to the needs of our communities and Florida families," Gov. Rick Scott said at a press conference. He urged against driving on flooded streets and to avoid travel unless "absolutely necessary."

"You can rebuild a home. You can rebuild property. You cannot rebuild a life," Scott said.


Hermine Moves through Georgia, the Carolinas

Initially a Category 1 hurricane, Hermine was downgraded to a tropical storm as it whirled up the eastern seaboard into Georgia and South Carolina. The NWS predicted 5-to-10 inches of rainfall over southern Georgia with isolated areas seeing as much as 15 inches.

The flood threat in Charleston eased throughout the morning, from an anticipated 10 inches to somewhere between 3-to-5 inches. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley did not issue a state of emergency, though there are reports of flooded roads and toppled trees.

In North Carolina, all but the most northwest corner of South Carolina is under a weather warning after Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency in 33 counties.

"We are working together across multiple agencies through North Carolina to make sure we are over-prepared and underwhelmed for this storm because we want people to safely enjoy their Labor Day vacation," McCrory said, adding that he is optimistic damage will be at a minimum.

Holiday Warnings Across the East Coast

Tropical storm warnings are in effect as far north as Norwich, Conn. The threat of coastal flooding heavy rainfall prompted Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe to declare a state of emergency, warning that Hermine could bring "life-threatening" conditions to heavily populated areas like Virginia Park. "We strongly encourage everyone in Virginia to prepare for the possibility of damaging winds, downed trees, power outages and flooding in much of the Commonwealth," McAuliffe said in a press release. "I urge Virginias to limit travel as the server weather arrives and evacuate if recommended by officials." Virginia can expect heavy rain and gusty storms through Sunday, when Hermine is expected to stall off the Atlantic coast. A tropical storm warning covers the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland's east shore. The Washington D.C. metro area will be relatively unaffected with light to moderate rain through the Labor Day weekend. Hermine's impact in the nation's capital will be limited to clouds and the possibility of strong winds. Meteorologists aren't as optimistic for New York and New Jersey. New York City will see sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s on Saturday. By Sunday morning, the NWS expects torrential downpours and 30-to-35-mph winds. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced beaches will be closed to swimmers, and the U.S. Coast Guard is advising boaters to use caution. Residents along the Jersey Shore are preparing for the worst. "We're just on standby right now," an emergency management coordinator told ABC 7 New York. "We have our hardware vehicles prepared, ready to go. We have our shelters in place, and we're just going through our checklist, making sure everything is ready to go." Hermine may hover over the New Jersey coast beyond Labor Day, meaning the Tri-State area could see tropical storm-like conditions throughout the week.