Helene swept into Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane late Thursday night, with winds of up to 62 meters per second.
The storm weakened on its way north, but has caused great destruction on its rapid journey through the states of Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee.
On Saturday, western North Carolina was effectively cut off from the outside world due to landslides and flooding that have closed Interstate 40 and other roads.
Evacuation from the hospital roof
Hundreds of people have been rescued from the floodwaters in boats. But it was most dramatic in Unicoi County in rural east Tennessee on Friday. There, tens of patients and staff were brought by helicopter from the roof of a flooded hospital.
On Saturday, rescue operations continued in Buncombe Country in North Carolina, where parts of Asheville are under water.
– To say that this came on suddenly would be an understatement, says the county’s sheriff Quentin Miller.
Can’t get hold of sister
A number of mobile masts have been destroyed in the area, and the authorities are struggling to get an overview of the situation. They say they know there have been deaths here, but will not give details until they have managed to make contact with next of kin.
Among the desperate family members waiting for news of their loved ones is Francine Cavanaugh. She last spoke to her sister on the phone when the storm hit Asheville. The sister was then on her way out to see the guests in a holiday cottage. Since then, Cavanaugh, who lives in Atlanta, has not been able to get hold of his sister, and the area is now flooded.
– I think people are just stuck, wherever they are, without mobile coverage, without electricity, she says.
Millions without power
Millions of people in the southeastern United States lost power as a result of Helene. The storm is now a post-tropical cyclone that is expected to remain over the Tennessee Valley at least until Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
In North Carolina, Helene caused the worst flooding in 100 years. And in Atlanta, where only the roofs of cars were visible in the floodwaters in some neighborhoods, 28.24 centimeters of rain fell in 48 hours. It is the largest amount of rainfall that has been measured over two days since measurements began in 1878.
Biden promises help
President Joe Biden on Saturday described the devastation as “overwhelming” and said the government is determined to assist the large areas affected in the southeastern United States.
In South Carolina, the authorities have reported 23 deaths as a result of the storm. That makes Helene the deadliest tropical storm in the state since Hurricane Hugo claimed 35 lives in 1989.
In Florida, eleven people lost their lives, according to the authorities. In total, at least 52 deaths as a result of the storm had been reported until Saturday. But the death toll is expected to rise as rescue efforts continue.
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2024-09-28 19:01:08
