Hurricane Helene Devastates the U.S. Southeast: 64 Dead, Millions Without Power

PERRY, Fla. – Hurricane Helene’s rampage across the southeastern United States has left a trail of destruction, with at least 64 fatalities and millions of people struggling without electricity. As rescue efforts intensify, survivors face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives amidst widespread devastation.

Janalea England, a resident of Steinhatchee, Florida, has turned her commercial fish market into a donation hub, helping neighbors and friends whose homes were destroyed. “I’ve never seen this level of homelessness before,” she remarked, reflecting on the tragedy that hit her tight-knit river community.

Helene made landfall late Thursday in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane, boasting wind speeds of up to 140 mph (225 kph). The storm swiftly moved inland, hitting Georgia with brutal force. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, after assessing the wreckage, stated, “It looks like a bomb went off,” describing the shattered homes and debris-strewn roads.

The Southeast Under Siege

After battering Florida and Georgia, Helene unleashed torrential rains across the Carolinas and Tennessee, causing rivers and creeks to overflow. In Western North Carolina, landslides and flooding isolated entire communities, leading to road closures, including a major stretch of Interstate 40. This disruption even delayed the East Tennessee State University football game, as the Buccaneers faced a 16-hour drive to Charleston, South Carolina, for their match against The Citadel.

One of the most dramatic rescues unfolded in rural Unicoi County, East Tennessee, where a helicopter evacuated dozens of hospital patients and staff from a rooftop. The emergency evacuations continued the next day in Buncombe County, North Carolina, as parts of Asheville became submerged under water.

Quentin Miller, Buncombe County sheriff, expressed his shock, saying, “To say this caught us off guard would be an understatement.”

Asheville resident Mario Moraga echoed the community’s grief, describing the widespread damage in the Biltmore Village area. “There’s no cell service, no electricity,” he said. Residents have been checking on neighbors and offering whatever support they can in this time of need.

While local officials confirmed fatalities, Emergency Services Director Van Taylor Jones stated that communication challenges, including downed cell towers, were hampering efforts to notify next of kin.

Desperate Search for Missing Loved Ones

Families across the region turned to social media to search for missing relatives. Francine Cavanaugh, a resident of Atlanta, is still searching for her sister, who had gone to check on a vacation cabin near Asheville as the storm began. Since then, there has been no contact. “I think people are just completely stuck,” Cavanaugh said, expressing her growing concern.

Flooding Catastrophe

The aftermath of Hurricane Helene has triggered some of the worst flooding North Carolina has seen in a century. Governor Roy Cooper labeled the destruction “catastrophic” as search and rescue teams from 19 states, alongside federal agencies, scrambled to assist affected areas. Spruce Pine, a small community, was inundated with more than two feet of rain between Tuesday and Saturday.

In Atlanta, the storm shattered rainfall records. A staggering 11.12 inches (28.24 centimeters) of rain fell over two days, marking the most intense rainfall since the city’s weather records began in 1878.

President Joe Biden acknowledged the overwhelming destruction, promising federal assistance and approving a disaster declaration for North Carolina. This federal funding will help support individuals affected by the storm.

Helene has become the deadliest tropical cyclone in South Carolina since Hurricane Hugo in 1989, which claimed 35 lives. At least 25 people were killed in South Carolina, while additional deaths were reported in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia.

Massive Financial Losses

The financial toll of Helene is staggering. Moody’s Analytics projects property damage to range between $15 billion and $26 billion. AccuWeather projects that the total economic impact could range from $95 billion to $110 billion.

Climate experts warn that warmer ocean temperatures have worsened hurricanes, allowing them to rapidly intensify. Helene’s rapid strengthening before landfall is a stark reminder of the dangers posed by climate change.

Evacuations and Dam Failures

As the storm approached, officials ordered widespread evacuations. But even after Helene’s landfall, evacuations continued as dams were breached by rising floodwaters. One of these dams in North Carolina was linked to a lake featured in the iconic movie “Dirty Dancing.”

In Newport, Tennessee, Jonah Wark found himself needing a last-minute rescue. “A boat had to come for us—it was terrifying,” Wark shared, recounting his experience as floodwaters overwhelmed his home.

U.S. Representative Diana Harshbarger, after flying over East Tennessee, expressed shock at the hurricane’s impact in the region, an area typically spared from such severe tropical storms. “Who would have thought a hurricane could cause this much damage in East Tennessee?” she said.

Florida Faces Losses

Among the 11 confirmed deaths in Florida, nine were people who drowned in their homes in Pinellas County, where St. Petersburg is located. These individuals had been in a mandatory evacuation zone when the storm hit. Taylor County, where Helene made landfall, miraculously saw no deaths despite storm surges of 15 to 18 feet.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated, “Had I known there would be a storm surge of 15 to 18 feet, I would have expected multiple fatalities.”

The Big Bend region, long untouched by hurricanes, has faced multiple direct hits over the past year. With three storms now hitting the area in such a short span, local residents are beginning to grapple with the growing frequency of such natural disasters.

John Berg, a 76-year-old Steinhatchee resident, shared his concerns. “It’s bringing everyone to the reality of what this is becoming,” he said, referring to the intensifying hurricanes.

Struggles Continue Amid Power Outages

In towns like Perry, Florida, the cleanup has begun. Cars stretched in long lines at food distribution centers early Saturday morning as residents, still without power, waited for assistance. “We’re taking it one day at a time,” said Sierra Land, who arrived at the site with her young sons and grandmother. Their refrigerator, like many others, had lost everything.

Despite the massive deployment of utility workers ahead of the hurricane, hundreds of thousands of residents in Florida and Georgia are still without electricity. Chris Stallings, director of the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, emphasized the urgency of restoring power to hospitals and delivering supplies to hard-hit communities.

Helene marks the eighth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, and experts predict an above-average season fueled by record-warm ocean temperatures.

As the storm weakens and transitions into a post-tropical cyclone, the recovery process will likely take weeks, if not months, for the communities in Helene’s wake.