CEDAR KEY: Storm Helene, a powerful Category 4 hurricane, has left a trail of devastation across the eastern United States as nearly four million Americans were still in the dark and many faced torrential flooding on Saturday, leaving at least 44 people dead.
The storm made landfall in Florida earlier this week, bringing torrential rains, destructive winds, and dangerous storm surges. Since then, Helene has weakened to a post-tropical cyclone, but it continues to wreak havoc as it moves northward, leaving roads, homes, and businesses submerged or destroyed.
According to US meteorologists, the storm still poses a serious threat, with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warning of “catastrophic and potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding.” Helene has brought record-breaking river flooding to several southern states, including North Carolina and Tennessee, where dams are at risk of failing.
Rescue efforts are underway since Helene first hit Florida, and evacuations were ordered overnight in North Carolina and Tennessee as authorities feared dam breaches. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned residents of downstream from a dam in eastern Tennessee.
Floodwaters have ravaged communities, particularly in western North Carolina. In Asheville, one of the worst-hit cities, streets have turned into rivers. North Carolina Governor Ray Cooper said during a Friday briefing, “This is one of the worst storms in modern history for parts of western North Carolina.”
In the small island city of Cedar Key, Florida, the full destructive power of Helene was on display. Several wooden homes were reduced to debris by the storm surge and ferocious winds. “I’ve lived here my whole life, and it breaks my heart to see it,” said Gabe Doty, superintendent of Cedar Key’s water and sewer district. “We’ve not really been able to catch a break around here.”
The devastation stretches across 10 states. South Carolina has seen 20 deaths, including two firefighters, while six residents of Spartanburg County have also been confirmed dead. In Georgia, 15 people have died, including an emergency responder. Governor Brian Kemp’s office confirmed that multiple people remain trapped in damaged structures in the city of Valdosta.
In Florida, where Helene first made landfall with winds reaching 140 miles per hour (225 km/h), seven deaths have been reported. Governor Ron DeSantis noted that Helene’s damage exceeded that of previous storms like Idalia and Debby, which hit the same region over the past year. “It’s a real gut punch to those communities,” DeSantis said in an interview with Fox News.
In Perry, Florida, one of the first towns hit by Helene, homes were left without power, and a local gas station was completely flattened. “I am Floridian, so I’m kind of used to it, but it was real scary at one point,” said Larry Bailey, a resident who sheltered with family members as the storm passed.
