- Damage to homes, flooded roads, power failures and fallen trees were reported in Florida
The passage of Hurricane Helene through the southern states of the United States left at least four fatalities: one in Florida, one in North Carolina and two in Georgia, according to official figures updated on September 27.
In Florida, the hurricane advanced with maximum winds of 225 km/h, which caused the fall of an advertising billboard, causing one of the deaths, while in Alamo (Georgia), the victims died as a result of the damage caused by a tornado. .
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the Hurricane Helene It arrived in the United States from the Gulf of Mexico with strong winds, rain and storm surge, making it “life-threatening.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference that emergency teams have not yet determined the full extent of the impact the hurricane had on the state.
“It is very likely that there will have been further loss of life and there will undoubtedly be property damage,” DeSantis said.
So far, flooded roads, fallen trees and electricity poles and multiple houses with damage to roofs and walls have been reported.
According to the portal poweroutage.us There are more than 2 million users without electricity in the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Hurricane Helene becomes a tropical storm
On September 27, the NHC reported that Hurricane Helene weakened to a tropical storm as it moved into the state of Georgia.
However, the center specialized in monitoring atmospheric phenomena in the United States warned the population in the south of the country to remain alert to the probability of rain and storm surges.
According to the NHC, as Helene continues to move, wind gusts with the potential to cause damage will continue, particularly in the upper areas of the southern Appalachians.
Despite the downgrading to a tropical storm, the NHC insisted that all precautions must be taken in coastal areas, because conditions remain “potentially deadly.”
The states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Alabama are still under emergency warnings while waiting for the tropical storm to decrease its intensity and the damage can be assessed.
Hurricane Helene was the fifth of this season in the Atlantic and, according to preliminary reports, it was one of the largest to hit the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
Evacuation in Florida
In more than 30 counties, of the 67 that make up Florida, mandatory evacuation orders were issued.
The US National Weather Service (NWS) warned that in Apalachee Bay, south of Tallahassee, storm surge would remain dangerous even after the hurricane passed.
Schools and offices in Florida remain closed and at least a thousand flights to or from this state were cancelled.
According to local media, in Tallahassee, students from Florida State University and Florida A&M University who remained in their dorms were evacuated to shelters where they will stay until the hurricane passes.
With information from EFE
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2024-09-28 01:50:13
