Hurricane Helene has caused widespread devastation across Florida and the southeastern United States, resulting in at least 44 fatalities. The storm uprooted towering oak trees and destroyed homes as rescue teams launched urgent missions to save individuals trapped by rising floodwaters.
Among the deceased are three firefighters, a woman with her one-month-old twins, and an 89-year-old woman who died when a tree fell on her house. According to an Associated Press count, the fatalities were reported in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
The Category 4 hurricane knocked out power to several hospitals in southern Georgia. Governor Brian Kemp stated that emergency crews had to use chainsaws to clear debris and reopen roads. The hurricane made landfall late Thursday in the sparsely populated Big Bend area of Florida, where it recorded maximum sustained winds of 225 kph.
Moody’s Analytics estimates property damage could range between $15 billion and $26 billion. The destruction extended hundreds of miles north to northeast Tennessee, where rescue operations unfolded after 54 individuals were relocated to the roof of Unicoi County Hospital due to severe flooding. Fortunately, all were rescued, and by late Friday afternoon, no patients remained at the hospital, according to Ballad Health.
In North Carolina, a lake featured in the film Dirty Dancing overflowed its dam, prompting evacuations in surrounding neighborhoods, although officials stated there was no immediate risk of the dam failing. Evacuations also occurred in Newport, Tennessee, a city of about 7,000, due to concerns over a nearby dam, though it was later confirmed to be intact.
Tornadoes also struck some areas, including one in Nash County, North Carolina, which critically injured four individuals.
Atlanta experienced a record 28.24 centimeters of rain within 48 hours—the highest two-day rainfall since record-keeping began in 1878. This surpassed the previous record of 24.36 cm set in 1886. In severely flooded neighborhoods, only the roofs of cars could be seen above the waterline.
Experts cite climate change as a factor that intensifies storms like Helene, which can rapidly strengthen in warmer waters.
In Pinellas County, Florida, all five fatalities occurred in neighborhoods where residents were advised to evacuate. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri noted that some individuals who chose to stay had to seek refuge in their attics to escape the rising water. He warned that the death toll could increase as rescue teams continue door-to-door operations in inundated areas.
Additional fatalities were reported in Georgia and the Carolinas, including two firefighters in South Carolina and a Georgia firefighter who died when trees struck their vehicles.
Social media videos showed torrential rain and siding being ripped from buildings in Perry, Florida, near where the hurricane made landfall. A news station reported a house that was overturned, while various communities imposed curfews.
In Perry, the storm also tore the newly installed roof off a church that had been replaced after Hurricane Idalia struck last year.
President Joe Biden expressed his prayers for survivors, and the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) traveled to the affected areas. The agency deployed over 1,500 personnel, who assisted in 400 rescues by late Friday morning.
In Tampa, some locations were only accessible by boat. Authorities urged those trapped to call for help rather than wade through floodwaters, as they can pose dangers due to downed power lines, sewage, sharp objects, and debris.
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As of late Friday, more than 3 million homes and businesses in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas were without power, with outages reported as far north as Ohio and Indiana due to Helene’s swift northward movement.
In Georgia, an electrical utility group reported catastrophic damage to power infrastructure, with over 100 high-voltage transmission lines affected. South Carolina officials stated that more than 40% of customers were without power and crews were working to clear debris to assess standing structures.
The hurricane made landfall near the mouth of the Aucilla River, about 30 kilometers northwest of where Hurricane Idalia struck last year with similar intensity. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis noted that the damage from Helene appears to surpass that of Idalia and Hurricane Debby combined.
After making landfall, Helene weakened to a tropical storm and subsequently a post-tropical cyclone. However, it continued to produce catastrophic flooding, with some areas receiving over a foot of rain. Forecasters warned that flooding in North Carolina could reach levels not seen in a century, prompting evacuations and the closure of around 300 roads statewide. The Connecticut Army National Guard dispatched a helicopter to assist.
School districts and universities canceled classes, while Florida airports that had closed due to the storm reopened on Friday. Transportation officials began inspecting bridges and causeways along the Gulf Coast.
