Hurricane Helene killed 45 People Across Florida and Southeastern U.S.
Hurricane Helene unleashed widespread devastation across Florida and the southeastern United States on Friday, resulting in at least 45 fatalities. The storm toppled massive oak trees and destroyed homes, prompting rescue teams to conduct urgent operations to save individuals trapped in floodwaters.
Among the victims were three firefighters, a woman with her one-month-old twins, and an 89-year-old woman who was killed when a tree fell on her house. According to an Associated Press report, casualties were reported in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
The Category 4 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph), made landfall late Thursday in Florida’s rural Big Bend area, impacting fishing villages and vacation spots. In southern Georgia, the storm caused power outages in hospitals, with Governor Brian Kemp noting that crews had to use chainsaws to clear debris for road access.
Moody’s Analytics estimates property damage from the hurricane could range between $15 billion and $26 billion.
The storm’s impact extended as far as northeast Tennessee, where a helicopter rescue operation was initiated for 54 individuals who sought refuge on the roof of the Unicoi County Hospital as water inundated the facility. All patients were successfully rescued by late Friday afternoon.
In North Carolina, a lake featured in the film “Dirty Dancing” overflowed, leading to evacuations in surrounding neighborhoods, though officials stated there was no immediate risk of dam failure. Additionally, residents in Newport, Tennessee, a town of about 7,000, were evacuated due to concerns about a nearby dam, which was later confirmed to be intact.
