Hurricane Helene unleashes hell on US as it makes landfall, leaving people dead, flooding, damage
At least 119 people have died across six US states and officials believe there could be more, with hundreds reported missing in the destruction. See the photos.
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At least 119 people have died across six US states and officials believe there could be more as a result of devastating Hurricane Helene.
So far, state and county officials said 47 people died in North Carolina, 30 in South Carolina, 25 in Georgia, 11 in Florida, four in Tennessee and two in Virginia.
Helene’s path of destruction stretched more than 900 kilometres, from coastal Florida to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Hundreds have been reported missing, unable to leave their location or unable to contact family, as phone and internet service is still patchy.
North Carolina’s governor, Roy Cooper, said the toll would rise as rescue workers reach areas isolated by collapsed roads, destroyed infrastructure and housing, and widespread flooding. Three of the state’s sheriff’s deputies were killed by the storm.
“We know that death toll will rise,” Asheville’s mayor said. “We’ve heard accounts of people seeing houses floating down the river with people in them.”
In the state of Georgia the governor, Brian Kemp, said the storm “literally spared no one.”
Supplies are being airlifted in as residents struggle to get clean water, heat and food.
Donald Trump visited Valdosta, Georgia for a briefing on the disaster, his campaign said.
Mr Trump met with local officials, first responders, and residents who have been impacted by last week's hurricane.
Mr Trump posted to Truth Social: “To every family that has been displaced here in Georgia, in North Carolina, and throughout the region, our hearts are with you in this hour of need.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2024
US President Joe Biden, who has approved federal aid for several states in the wake of the disaster, intends to travel to hard-hit areas this week, “as soon as it will not disrupt emergency response operations,” the White House said, adding that VP Kamala Harris would do the same.
“We have another devastating update. We now have 30 confirmed losses due to the storm,” Quentin Miller, the sheriff in North Carolina’s Buncombe County, which includes the tourist city of Asheville, told a briefing.
Flood warnings remained in effect in parts of western North Carolina, amid fears of potential dam failures.
In Western North Carolina, where cleanup efforts are underway, a resident told CNN she had no power, running water, or phone reception.
Meredith Keisler, a school nurse who was collecting wood to make a fire, said: “It’s incredible — the destruction. It’s really sad.”
Near Asheville, North Carolina, Krista Cortright said “Things are even more devastating in person. My heart is broken for our people here.”
The storm response took on a political tinge after President Joe Biden and the two candidates vying to replace him, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, announced plans to soon visit hard-hit areas, some of them in key battleground states in the November election.
High winds and torrential rain pummeled towns and cities across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Homes were destroyed, roads flooded out and power cut off to millions.
“We’re hearing (of) significant infrastructure damage to water systems, communication, roads, critical transportation routes, as well as several homes that have been just destroyed by this,” the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Deanne Criswell, said.
Nearly 2.2 million households are without power, according to tracker poweroutage.us.
US Department of Energy official Matt Targuagno said that crews were working hard to restore electricity but warned it would be “a complex, multi-day response.” Thousands of people continued to seek assistance in shelters run by the American Red Cross, organization official Jennifer Pipa said.
Helene blew into Florida’s northern Gulf shore as a huge Category Four hurricane with winds of 225 kilometres per hour.
Even as it weakened, it wreaked havoc.
North Carolina saw some of the worst of the flooding, with Governor Roy Cooper saying rescuers were being forced to airlift supplies in some areas due to damaged or flooded roads.
“I don’t know that anybody could be fully prepared for the amount of flooding and landslides that they are experiencing right now,” Criswell said on CBS, adding that more search and rescue teams were being deployed.
William Ray, director of the state’s emergency management department, warned that conditions were still extremely dangerous.
Hundreds of roads across the region remained closed, with several bridges washed away by floodwaters.
Four major interstate highways were closed across North Carolina and Tennessee, with “multiple” bridges still out, said Kristin White of the US Department of Transportation.
Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina each had more than 100 road closures, she added.
In the Georgia city of Valdosta, the storm ripped the roofs off buildings, and left road intersections a tangle of felled utility poles and trees.
“The wind started really hitting, like, felt branches and pieces of the roof hitting the side of the building and hitting the windows,” said Valdosta resident Steven Mauro.
“And then we were looking out and then literally this whole street, just everything went black.”
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TV REPORTER SAVES WOMAN AS HURRICANE HELENE HITS
Offering a glimmer of hope amid the dark days ahead, a Fox News reporter rescued a woman from her car which went under in rising floodwaters while he was live on-air.
Fox News meteorologist Bob Van Dillen was covering Hurricane Helene in Atlanta where he heard the female driver screaming for help.
The Fox meteorologist called 911 and assured her help was coming but her cries for help continued.
He said said on-air said, “Oh man, it’s a situation.”
He then looked into the camera and said that he was going to help the lady, saying, “I’ll be back.”
The Fox and Friends team in New York continued the broadcast as Van Dillen disappeared to help the driver.
Van Dillen was then seen in chest-high water, carrying the woman on his back after helping her escape her car.
HEROIC RESCUE: @foxweather meteorologist rushes to save a woman from rising floodwaters as deadly Helene slams Southeast. pic.twitter.com/Nv9tvtFJoF
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 27, 2024
FLOOD DAMAGE CONTINUES
More damage from severe flooding is unfolding across states affected.
Heavy rains brought uncharacteristic flooding to many parts of the North Carolina mountains. Rains from what was Hurricane Helene have dropped more than a foot of rain across much of the region.
Florida was hit with widespread damage as well, including power lines that were brought down and houses destroyed.
MAN AND DOG SAVED FROM ROUGH SEAS
The US Coast Guard has released incredible footage of a man and his dog being plucked from rough seas off the coast of Florida.
#Final The man & his dog were reportedly in good medical condition. They were brought to Southwest Florida International airport to meet with EMS. The vessel is adrift and disabled.
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) September 27, 2024
🎥🎬 Recorded by a camera worn by AST2 Hudson, edited by Lt. Cmdr. Kellerman, AirSta Clearwater pic.twitter.com/3ehoIVqlLj
The man’s sailboat began taking on water off the coast off Sanibel Island when he was found just in time by the coastguard rescue helicopter.
50 PEOPLE RESCUED FROM HOSPITAL ROOF
Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty had welcome news about the staff and patients stranded on the roof of Unicoi County Hospital. More than 50 people were stranded.
“Everyone has been rescued safely from the roof of Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin,” Senator Hagerty wrote on X.
“More trouble on the horizon for East Tennessee communities. Please stay safe and thank you for your prayers!”
The good news continued as Tennessee’s Cocke County Mayor, Rob Mathis, clarified the Waterview Dam had not suffered a catastrophic failure and previous warnings were “false alarms”.
HOSPITAL RESCUE: 50+ people were sent to the roof of the Unicoi County Hospital in East TN and are awaiting rescue as flooding cut the hospital off from land. https://t.co/4xgFCV76Qn@WKRN#Helenepic.twitter.com/ZXG0Kjp492
— Nickelle Smith (@NickelleReports) September 27, 2024
“The loss of life that we’ve seen, a lot of it has been by fallen trees because of the saturated ground,” Georgia Governor Brian Kemp told media.
A four-year-old child who was travelling in a car involved in a head on crash caused by heavy rain is also among the dead.
- With AFP
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