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ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - As Helene passed through Atlanta, the massive storm dumped enough rain to break a record that had stood for more than 100 years.

In 1886, a meter stationed at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport measured 9.59 inches of rain in 48 hours. But on Friday, it measured more than 11 inches in two days, according to the National Weather Service.

LATEST UPDATES: Georgia death toll rises to 17; metro Atlanta sees flooding after record rain from Helene

Some areas in metro Atlanta saw even larger record-breaking rainfall levels. Decatur had 12.51 inches, East Point had 12.71 inches and McDonough even had more than a foot of rain at 13.89 inches.

Helene made landfall in north Florida as a Category 4 hurricane but had weakened to a tropical storm by the time it reached north Georgia. Still, so much rain in such little time triggered major flooding in metro Atlanta, drowning streets, cars, homes and other property. Emergency crews pulled several people from the often swift floodwaters, including a woman, baby, man and two dogs all stranded on top of a car in northwest Atlanta.

In a news conference from Valdosta on Saturday, Gov. Brian Kemp said 17 people have died in the storm in Georgia.

“It has been unlike any other storm I think we’ve ever faced because of the size of the wind field that this storm brought through and how it literally is affecting 159 counties,” he said.