Hurricane Helene has wreaked havoc across the southern United States, resulting in a death toll exceeding 150 as rescue teams navigate washed-out bridges and treacherous terrains to reach those stranded. The catastrophic storm, which made landfall in Florida on Thursday, unleashed over 40 trillion gallons of rain on several states, causing unprecedented flooding and destruction.
Unprecedented Rainfall and Its Consequences
The sheer volume of rainfall from Hurricane Helene is staggering. Meteorologists calculated that the storm released enough water to fill Lake Tahoe—boasting a depth of 1,645 feet and a surface area of 191 square miles—60 million times or the Dallas Cowboys’ 80,000-seat stadium 51,000 times. “That’s an astronomical amount of precipitation,” remarked Ed Clark, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s water center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, as reported by the Associated Press.
Clark emphasized that he had never witnessed such a widespread and massive precipitation event in his 25 years at the weather service. He added that the estimate of 40 trillion gallons was likely conservative, stating that if the same amount had fallen in the drought-stricken western states, it would have filled both Lake Powell and Lake Mead twice over.
The calculations for the rainfall were made by meteorologist Ryan Maue, a former NOAA chief scientist. Maue utilized precipitation measurements gathered from satellite data and ground observations in 2.5-mile-by-2.5-mile grids. He noted that the immense rainfall resulted from a “perfect storm” scenario, where multiple storm systems combined to create an extraordinary amount of rain, particularly at high elevations.
Devastation Across Several States
The devastating impact of Hurricane Helene has been particularly felt in western North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida, with entire towns being washed away. Reports indicate that more than 130 people have been confirmed dead due to the deluge.
North Carolina state climatologist Kathie Dello remarked, “These storms are wetter and these storms are warmer.” She highlighted a shift in the intensity and destructiveness of storms impacting the region, asserting that a tropical storm that once caused only minor damage has now led to “apocalyptic destruction.”
Deanne Criswell, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), discussed the rapid development of Hurricane Helene. She indicated that the storm intensified quickly due to elevated Gulf of Mexico water temperatures, a phenomenon linked to climate change driven by human activity, particularly the burning of fossil fuels.
Criswell stated that the implications of climate change have led to “more storms that are reaching this major category level than we’ve seen in the past,” resulting in increased storm surge and rainfall as storms move inland.
The Aftermath and Search Efforts
As search and rescue operations resumed on Tuesday, authorities in North Carolina faced challenges in reaching those cut off by the storm’s aftermath. Hundreds remained isolated due to washed-out roads and damaged communication networks, making it difficult to deliver aid.
In the Asheville area, where the French Broad River and Swannanoa River converge, rainfall exceeded 20 inches (51 cm) over just three days. To put this into perspective, a mere 8.4 inches in that time frame would have previously been classified as a once-in-a-1,000-year event prior to the effects of climate change.
Civil engineer Janey Camp from the University of Memphis remarked on the overwhelming impact of the storm, stating that the region’s mountainous terrain compounded the flooding risk. “The area is not conducive to withstanding such high levels of precipitation,” she explained, adding that the water cascaded rapidly down to lower-elevation areas, intensifying the flood’s destructiveness.
Infrastructure Strain and Power Outages
Local infrastructure proved inadequate to handle the deluge, which far exceeded the design standards established for once-in-100-year or once-in-500-year events. Camp noted, “Those design guidelines and standards kind of got thrown out the window. They wouldn’t have really helped.”
As of Tuesday, more than 1.7 million homes and businesses across six states, from Florida to West Virginia, were without power. The scale of the destruction has left local authorities grappling with the aftermath of this catastrophic weather event, and understanding the full extent of the damage may take weeks.
