- Damage to homes, flooded roads, power failures and fallen trees were reported in Florida
Hurricane Helene left around 100 dead in six states in the southeastern United States, including North Carolina, where the majority of deaths were recorded and the government authorized a “major disaster” declaration to expedite relief efforts.
The last official report of fatalities, for September 30, is the following:
– North Carolina: 36
– South Carolina: 25
– Georgia: 17
– Florida: 11
– Virginia: 2
– Tennessee: 2
However, the president of the United States, Joe Biden, reported that the dead exceeded one hundred and it is estimated that there are 600 people missing.
“God willing they are alive, but there is no way to communicate with them due to the lack of mobile phone coverage,” Biden said in an institutional statement without offering further details.
These figures offered by the US president were supported by the media’s count NBC Newswhich noted that the deaths are estimated at 112 (44 in North Carolina, 25 in South Carolina, 25 in Georgia, 12 in Florida, 4 in Tennessee and 2 in Virginia).
Most affected areas in the US
Biden explained that Washington has deployed around 3,600 emergency personnel to attend to the most affected areas in the south of the country.
In addition, the US president will ask Congress for approval of an economic allocation to pay for emergency and reconstruction operations.
“Many people have no idea when, if ever, they will be able to return home, if there is ever a home left to return to,” Biden added.
The president added that he will not travel to North Carolina until the end of the week because an earlier visit would be “disruptive” with rescue efforts.
Helene entered on September 26 as a category 4 hurricane on the southeast coast of Florida and made its way north, with torrential rains and hurricane force winds that caused damage to homes, roads and vehicles.
The hurricane reached the United States from the Gulf of Mexico with strong winds, rain and storm surge, making it potentially deadly.
North Carolina is one of the most affected states, especially in the town of Asheville, which was partially submerged, with homes and businesses destroyed.
Damage from Hurricane Helene in the US
The governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper, explained in a press conference on September 29 that the heavy rains that fell in the state’s mountains caused landslides that washed away roads, knocked down power poles and telecommunications towers as they passed through residential areas.
Some 280 state highways are still closed and that makes emergency work difficult, so authorities are bringing resources, food and water to trapped people by air; There are also about 1,000 people in shelters, Cooper said.
North Carolina airports, located in Asheville and Charlotte, are the main airports in the United States affected by cancellations and delays, although they continue with most of their operations.
The governor called Helene “one of the worst storms in modern history” of the state and anticipated more victims, as there are numerous reports of missing people.
A similar scenario faces Unicoi County, in eastern Tennessee, where authorities are searching for more than 70 missing people, according to authorities.
Other climatic phenomena
On September 27, the NHC reported that Hurricane Helene weakened to become a tropical storm, however, it remains on alert for the probability of rain and storm surge at least until October 2.
In addition, on September 30, the specialized center warned about the formation of Tropical Storm Kirk, which is expected to become another hurricane this week.
The system, which does not yet represent a threat to the United States territory, is located 1,125 kilometers west of the Cape Verde Islands, according to the most recent NHC bulletin.
Kirk is the 11th named tropical storm of the current hurricane season that ends November 30, and has maximum sustained winds of 70 kilometers per hour.
Hurricane Isaac was downgraded to a tropical storm and the NHC estimates that it will become a post-tropical system in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, Joyce, which also posed no threat on land, is now a tropical depression that will shrink to a low pressure system later, according to NHC forecasts.
The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicated that this hurricane season in the Atlantic could have “above” average activity, with between 8 and 13 hurricanes, of which between 4 and 7 would be of category elderly.
Con informationfromnumber of EFE
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2024-10-01 06:55:39
