Tropical Storm Helene caused severe flooding in the Carolinas after wreaking havoc as a major hurricane in Florida and Georgia overnight, resulting in at least 33 fatalities, devastating neighborhoods, and leaving over 4 million homes and businesses without electricity.
Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region as a strong Category 4 hurricane at 11:10 PM local time (4:10 AM Irish time), transforming the landscape into chaos with overturned boats in harbors, uprooted trees, submerged vehicles, and flooded streets.
Emergency responders, including police and firefighters, conducted thousands of water rescues across the impacted states, with significant operations in Atlanta, where an apartment complex was evacuated due to flooding concerns.
After hitting Florida with winds of 225 km/h, Helene decreased in intensity to a tropical storm as it progressed into Georgia early this morning. By early afternoon, the National Hurricane Center reported that the storm had been downgraded to a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h as it moved slowly over Tennessee and Kentucky.
Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region as a powerful Category 4 hurricane at 11:10 PM, leading to a chaotic scene of overturned boats in harbors, downed trees, submerged vehicles, and flooded streets.
Floodwaters flooded the main street in Tarpon Springs following Hurricane Helene’s passage offshore.
Reports indicated that more than 50 individuals were stranded on the roof of a hospital at midday in Unicoi County, Tennessee, as rising floodwaters overwhelmed the rural area.
The Unicoi County Emergency Management Agency stated on social media that the rising waters from the Nolichucky River had obstructed ambulances and emergency vehicles from evacuating patients and others, although rescue crews in boats were successfully conducting operations.
In western North Carolina, emergency officials in Rutherford County urgently advised residents near the Lake Lure Dam to evacuate to higher ground shortly before noon, warning that “Dam failure is imminent.”
Landslides in Buncombe County forced the closure of interstates 40 and 26, according to local authorities’ posts on X.
The extent of the devastation in Florida became clear after sunrise.
Coastal Steinhatchee experienced a storm surge of three meters, moving mobile homes, as reported by the NWS on X. In Treasure Island, a barrier island community situated in Pinellas County, boats were reported stranded in front yards.
The city of Tampa conveyed on X that emergency personnel had completed 78 water rescues, emphasizing that many roads remained impassable due to flooding. The Pasco County sheriff’s office rescued over 65 individuals overnight.
The US Coast Guard reported saving nine individuals from storm waters. Video footage shared online captured a Coast Guard crew rescuing a man and his dog, both donning life vests, from the ocean after his sailboat became disabled near Sanibel Island.
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Kevin Guthrie, Florida’s emergency management director, strongly urged residents in affected areas to avoid the roads.
“I implore you, do not venture out,” Guthrie stated at a morning press briefing. “We have 1,500 search and rescue personnel in the impacted areas. Please allow us to carry out our work.”
Officials desperately urged residents in Helene’s path to obey evacuation orders, describing the storm surge as “unsurvivable,” as warned by NHC Director Michael Brennan.
In Taylor County, the Sheriff’s Department advised that residents who chose not to evacuate should write their names and dates of birth on their arms with permanent ink “to ensure identification and family notification.”
Despite warnings, some residents remained unwilling to leave.
Ken Wood, 58, a state ferry boat operator in Pinellas County, admitted to ignoring evacuation orders and instead rode out the storm at home with his 16-year-old cat, Andy.
The International Space Station captured footage of Hurricane Helene at 2:25 PM EDT on Thursday, September 26, 2024, as it neared the Gulf Coast of Florida with winds exceeding 120 miles an hour. pic.twitter.com/J1iU0Iztpx
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) September 26, 2024
“I’ll never make that mistake again, I promise,” Mr. Wood recounted. “It was a terrifying experience. The winds roared all night like a freight train. It was distressing. My house shook.”
Nearby, the storm flooded some homes with chest-deep saltwater. One house caught fire and burned down, creating 30-foot flames that illuminated the stormy sky, he reported.
“Old Andy seemed indifferent,” Mr. Wood noted. “He handled it well. But next time, we’re leaving.”
Sadly, some of Mr. Wood’s neighbors weren’t as lucky. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri shared that first responders were previously unable to respond to numerous emergency calls from residents overnight due to adverse conditions.
Authorities in the county discovered at least five fatalities.
Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed that two additional individuals had died in Florida. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp noted 11 storm-related deaths in his state thus far, while North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper reported two deaths there.
The Charleston-based Post and Courier newspaper stated that at least 13 individuals lost their lives during the storm across South Carolina, as cited by local officials.
Forecasters indicated that Helene was unusually large for a Gulf hurricane, though a storm’s size differs from its strength, which is determined by maximum sustained wind speeds.
Just hours before landfall, Helene’s tropical-storm winds extended outward 500 km, according to the NHC. In comparison, Idalia, another major hurricane that impacted Florida’s Big Bend region last year, had tropical-storm winds extending 260 km approximately eight hours prior to its landfall.
Airports in Tampa, Tallahassee, and St. Petersburg halted operations yesterday but have since resumed service, although extensive delays are anticipated.
By midday, over 4.6 million homes and businesses were without power across Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and other states, according to the tracking website Poweroutage.us.
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