After hitting the north coast of Florida on Thursday night, Hurricane Helene It passed through Georgia, the Carolinas, and into Tennessee, 500 miles (800 kilometers) inland. After impacting the Big Bend area as a Category 4 hurricane and continuing its path north, the cyclone became a tropical storm, but its consequences were no less serious. Helene It has caused at least 52 deaths and left millions without power in the southeastern United States, as well as billions of dollars in damage and a continued risk of flooding in parts of the Appalachians.
The storm is expected to remain over the Tennessee Valley on Saturday and Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Several flood warnings remain in effect in parts of southern and central Appalachia, while high wind warnings also cover parts of Tennessee and as far away as Ohio.
According to the AP count, the 52 confirmed deaths are spread across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Although the figure is likely to increase in the coming days when areas that remain flooded and inaccessible for the moment can be accessed.
The Big Bend swamp area, right where the Florida peninsula juts out to sea, has taken a direct hit from three hurricanes since August 2023. Experts have warned that it reflects a trend caused by the record-breaking water temperature of the Gulf of Mexico, which generates storms that intensify strongly, sometimes in a matter of hours, as was the case with Helene, which went from category 1 to 4 on Thursday afternoon.
In Atlanta, Georgia, a rainfall record was broken. In 48 hours the city received 11.12 inches (28.24 cm) of water, the largest amount recorded since precipitation began to be recorded in 1878. Flooding in the country’s sixth metropolitan area is severe and persistent.
Western North Carolina was virtually isolated due to mudslides and flooding that forced the closure of several highways. And the city of Asheville has been submerged, fulfilling the forecasts of meteorologists who had warned of the possibility of a repetition of an event that had last happened in 1916. In the area, on Saturday morning there was also no electricity or coverage. phone.
Residents paddle through the waters of their neighborhood after Tropical Storm Helene passed through Atlanta, Georgia, on September 27, 2024.ERIK S. LESSER (EFE)Likewise, even further north, landslides in the Appalachian Mountains washed out parts of the interstate highway around the North Carolina-Tennessee border. With the storm still present in this area, forecasters have warned that the flooding could be the worst in a century and emergency services are prepared to deal with the damage over the next few days and even weeks.
As for property damage, Moody’s Analytics has said it estimates the cost will be between $15 billion and $26 billion. In Georgia, “catastrophic” damage to electrical infrastructure has been reported, with more than 100 high-voltage lines affected. And in South Carolina, where 40% of the population was without power on Saturday around noon, the damage was barely being assessed due to the difficulty of access due to the level of destruction.
For now, administrations have asked people trapped in their homes in the different affected States to call rescue teams. The order is to avoid venturing into flood waters, as they can be highly dangerous due to loose electrical wires and other types of debris.
Helene It was the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began on June 1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average season this year due to record-breaking ocean temperatures. With temperature records broken year after year recently, seasons like this may be the new norm.
Flooded streets in Newport, Tennessee, this September 27 after Helene passed as a tropical storm. CURTIS HANCE/H&H VAPORS (Reuters)