Across the southeastern United States, authorities faced a massive cleanup effort on Saturday. Hurricane Helene, one of the most powerful storms to hit the country, left a trail of destruction. The death toll continued to rise, adding to the devastation.
By late Friday, at least 43 deaths were reported. Officials feared more bodies would be found across several states.
Helene, now a post-tropical cyclone, brought heavy rains to multiple states. This caused life-threatening flooding, threatening to overwhelm dams and flood entire towns.
In Florida’s Pinellas County, near Tampa, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri described the destruction as akin to a war zone. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said at a press conference.
Over 3.5 million customers lost power across five states. Authorities warned it could take days to restore services.
Climate change is fueling stronger, more destructive hurricanes, scientists say.
Before moving north, Helene hit Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane. It brought 140 mph winds, leaving a chaotic landscape of overturned boats, felled trees, submerged cars, and flooded streets.
Police and firefighters conducted thousands of water rescues across the affected states on Friday.
In Unicoi County, Tennessee, over 50 people were rescued from a hospital’s roof. The area, about 120 miles northeast of Knoxville, was swamped by floodwaters.
Rising waters from the Nolichucky River blocked ambulances and emergency vehicles. Emergency crews were using boats and helicopters for rescues.
In Tennessee, the mayor of Cocke County ordered the evacuation of downtown Newport due to a possible dam failure.
In western North Carolina, Rutherford County officials warned of a possible dam failure at Lake Lure. They said late Friday that failure was not imminent.
Landslides in nearby Buncombe County forced the closure of interstates 40 and 26, the county announced on X.
The damage in Florida became clear after daybreak on Friday.
In coastal Steinhatchee, a storm surge of eight to 10 feet moved mobile homes. In Treasure Island, boats were grounded in front yards.
The city of Tampa reported 78 water rescues and impassable roads due to flooding. The Pasco County sheriff’s office rescued over 65 people.
Authorities had urged residents to evacuate, with the National Hurricane Center Director calling the storm surge “unsurvivable.”
Gualtieri, the Pinellas County sheriff, said conditions prevented first responders from answering calls. On Friday, the county found at least five people dead.
Two others died in Florida, said Governor Ron DeSantis. Georgia reported 15 storm-related fatalities, while North Carolina had two.
At least 19 people died in South Carolina, the Charleston-based Post and Courier reported. Local officials cited this number.
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