Hurricane Helene, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm in Florida's Big Bend region, has claimed at least 52 lives and left a trail of destruction across the southeastern United States.
The fatalities include three firefighters, a woman and her one-month-old twins, and an 89-year-old woman whose home was destroyed by a fallen tree. Deaths have been reported in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, according to Local 10.
By Friday, the death toll stood at around 40, but it has since risen to 52 overnight. The number of casualties is expected to increase as rescue teams reach isolated and flooded areas. Recovery and rescue operations are ongoing.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri stated that all victims in his county were from neighborhoods that had been evacuated. Many residents chose not to leave their homes, facing dire situations as they sought refuge in their attics to escape the rising waters, he explained.
Widespread Destruction and Power Outages
With winds reaching up to 140 mph (225 kph), the powerful storm struck Florida on Thursday night before swiftly moving towards Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee. The hurricane uprooted trees, demolished houses, and caused rivers to overflow, leading to severe flooding. Over three million people lost power over the weekend, with some areas still under threat of floods.
Southwestern North Carolina was particularly hard-hit, experiencing landslides and floods that isolated entire communities and even led to the closure of Interstate 40. In Asheville, video footage shared on social media shows entire neighborhoods submerged. Many families have been cut off since Friday.
Dramatic Rescues and Ongoing Threats
Dramatic rescues unfolded in Tennessee, where dozens of patients and staff were evacuated from a hospital in Unicoi County by helicopters due to a nearby river's rising waters. The hurricane, now downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, remained over the Tennessee Valley through the weekend, with flood warnings and strong winds affecting the southern Appalachians and parts of Tennessee and Ohio.
In Tampa, the upscale Davis Islands neighborhood is still recovering from the storm surge-induced flooding. In other parts of the state, entire communities have been devastated, with hundreds of homes destroyed and essential services disrupted.
Nearly 4 million homes and businesses in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina remain without power. Conditions are still hazardous, with authorities warning of the potential dangers posed by downed power lines in water and other risks.
Experts attribute the rapid intensification of hurricanes like Helene to climate change, noting that warmer seas are fueling stronger storms.