(AGENPARL) – Rome, 27 September 2024
Tropical Storm Helene it devastated the southeastern United States, leaving millions without electricity and causing widespread damage. The storm, which he touched land as a Category 4 hurricane on Thursday night, it inundated large areas of northwest Florida before weakening as it crossed Georgia.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Helene made landfall on the Florida coast with winds reaching 140 mph. The storm surge, described considered by experts to be a “nightmare” event, it caused at least four deaths. One person in Florida was killed by a falling sign, while two others died in Georgia, possibly due to a tornado. An additional death was reported in Charlotte, North Carolina, where a tree fell on a home.
Rescuers worked tirelessly in rescue operations. In Citrus County, Florida, emergency crews rescued people trapped by floods. The sheriff’s office warned residents to avoid crossing floodwaters, which could contain exposed electrical wires and dangerous debris.
More than 3 million people remained without power in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, with more than 1.2 million blackouts in Florida, 900,000 in Georgia and 927,000 in the Carolinas. The authorities of these states, along with those of Alabama and Virginia, have declared a state of emergency.
Images spread on social media show damaged buildings and entire communities, such as Taylor County in Florida, in complete darkness. In a video you can see a house overturned by violent gusts of wind.
The storm continued its northward path, moving at 48 km/h and gradually weakening. Despite the reduction in winds to 70 mph, meteorologists warn that Helene will continue to cause torrential rain in the Appalachian Mountains, with the risk of landslides and flash flooding. The storm’s remnants are then expected to move toward Tennessee and Kentucky.
Helene is the third major storm to hit the region in just over a year. Tropical Storm Debby had already caused widespread blackouts last August, while Hurricane Idalia devastated about 1,000 homes in Lowndes County.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned residents of likely loss of life and significant damage. The governors of Georgia and the Carolinas also expressed similar concerns, with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp calling Helene “one of the biggest storms we’ve ever had.”
Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday night in northwestern Florida as a Category 4 storm.
One person was killed in Florida when a sign fell on their car, and two people were reported killed in a possible tornado in south Georgia as the storm approached. pic.twitter.com/Oam2maQZrN
— Breaking News (@TheNewsTrending) September 27, 2024
Helene is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which has proved particularly intense this year due to record ocean temperatures.
