Hurricane Helene landed on Florida’s Big Bend Thursday evening as a resounding category-four hurricanes. The hurricane had gusts of 140 mph, leading to havoc. The National Hurricane Center described storm-related flooding as “historic and catastrophic”. Although Helene had been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone by Friday, it still brought torrential rains to the southern Appalachian region.
Death Toll Across Several States
The system has left at least 45 fatalities in several states. In Georgia, 15 deaths were attributed to the storm, including one first responder. In South Carolina, there were 19 confirmed fatalities – two dismissed firefighters, two people spiked off by a falling tree, and others. They confirmed five deaths in Florida, including a female who drowned in her own home and another person who got hit by a traffic ting on her way in Tampa. There were also two fatalities, all reported from North Carolina and one in Virginia.
Rescue Operations Underway
Conseild flooding trapped numerous victims, resulting in large rescue operations. In Tennessee, floodwaters engulfed the Unicoi County Hospital. The patients and clinical crew had to be rescued from the roof. In Florida, a man and his dog were rescued from a boat mast stranded near Sanibel Island. The state of Georgia, a family was rescued after floods carried away their cars, and they could not return to the flooded streets of Atlanta. Students and other residents of other districts also assisted community members onto higher grounds due to the increasing water level.
Widespread damage and Power Outages
After the downpour the next day, the people of Florida woke up to the shocking sight of what had happened. Houses after house stood considerably underwater while big trees were toppling over their structures and floating rafts on the front yards. Tampa’s historic District of Davis Islands was submerged under water, and the sidewalks were littered with boats. Outages affected more than 3.8 million people in the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Communities Start Reconstruction Efforts
Even though there has been considerable destruction, some of the residents have already planned how to rebuild. In Steinhatchee, Florida, Linda Wicker lost her 20-year-old restaurant business. She has, however, trained her attention on assisting the vulnerable in society who have lost shelter. For instance, she said, “There are many people with no place to go, no money, no home…we have to help them too.”
Recovering from the ruin Hurricane Helene perpetrated will take several weeks if not months. The storm has taken the lives of people, destroyed houses, and left millions without power. Death, destruction of property, and powering millions of people have been the major effects of the current storm on many states in America. With ongoing rescue efforts, the whole southeast of the United States is preparing for the long recovery fight ahead.
