PERRY, Florida – Hurricane Helene has wreaked widespread devastation across the southeastern United States, leaving a trail of destruction and loss of life in its wake. The Category 4 hurricane made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region on Thursday, with winds reaching speeds of up to 225 kilometers per hour. It then moved swiftly through Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, causing damage and destruction along the way.
The aftermath of Helene’s wrath has been devastating. At least 52 people have lost their lives, and millions are without power. The storm has also caused billions of dollars in damage, leaving many communities struggling to recover. As the storm continues to move through the southeastern US, the threat of floods remains, adding to the already dire situation.
The impact of Helene was felt strongly in western North Carolina, where landslides and flooding caused by the storm forced the closure of major roads, including Interstate 40. Residents were essentially cut off from the outside world, as the storm continued to wreak havoc on the region.
One of the most dramatic rescue missions took place in rural Unicoi County, Tennessee, where a group of patients and staff were airlifted from the roof of a hospital surrounded by floodwaters. The storm, now a post-tropical cyclone, is expected to linger over the Tennessee Valley for the weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center. As a result, flood and flash flood warnings remain in effect for parts of the Appalachian Mountains, with high wind warnings also in place for areas in Tennessee and Ohio.
Tragically, the death toll continues to rise as rescue teams work tirelessly to reach those affected by the storm. Among the fatalities are three firefighters, a woman and her 1-month-old twins, and an 89-year-old woman whose home was struck by a falling tree. The victims were from various states, including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, according to the Associated Press.
In the affluent neighborhood of Davis Islands in Tampa, residents are still reeling from the storm surge that inundated their homes. The area, home to famous athletes such as Derek Jeter and Tom Brady, had never experienced such levels of flooding before. While no lives were lost, many homes, businesses, and apartments were severely damaged.
The unexpected force of the storm caught many off guard, including Faith Pilafas, a resident of Davis Islands. She told the Tampa Bay Times, “I don’t think anybody was expecting it…For all the people who didn’t leave the island, I feel like they were all just expecting it to be a normal storm, anticlimactic. And wow, were we surprised.”
In Hudson, Florida, Kera O’Neil and her sister were forced to wade through chest-deep water with their two cats to escape their flooded home. O’Neil described the terrifying moment when she realized the water was rising dangerously high, saying, “There’s a moment where you are thinking, ‘If this water rises above the level of the stove, we are not going to have much room to breathe.'”
Despite evacuation orders, some residents chose to stay behind, resulting in numerous water rescues. In Newport, Tennessee, a town of approximately 7,000 people, residents were evacuated amid concerns about a nearby dam. However, officials later confirmed that the structure had not failed. The threat of tornadoes also loomed, with one in Nash County, North Carolina, leaving four people critically injured.
The impact of Helene extended well beyond the southeastern US, with record-breaking rainfall in Atlanta and other parts of Georgia. In just two days, the city received a staggering 28.24 centimeters of rain, breaking records dating back to 1878. The unprecedented amount of rain caused severe flooding in some neighborhoods, with only the roofs of submerged cars visible.
The financial toll of the storm is estimated to be between $15 billion to $26 billion, according to Moody’s Analytics. Climate change has been cited as a contributing factor to the intensity and frequency of such storms, with warmer waters providing the ideal conditions for rapid strengthening.
The Big Bend region of Florida, where Helene made landfall, is known for its pristine salt marshes and pine flatwoods. However, the area has recently seen an increase in natural disasters, with Helene being the third major hurricane to hit the region since 2023. Susan Sauls Hartway, a resident of Ezell Beach
