At least 52 people were killed in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen, which devastated large swathes of the southeastern United States and caused billions of dollars worth of damage.
In Saturday’s update on Helen, the National Hurricane Center said the risk of further heavy rain continues to decrease, but “catastrophic and historic flooding” will continue in parts of the southern Appalachians.
The storm is now classified as a post-tropical storm and is expected to remain over the Tennessee Valley from Saturday into Sunday, the NHC added. Power lines and cell phone towers have been damaged, leaving millions without power.
Those killed in the storm included three firefighters, a woman and her 1-month-old twins, and an 89-year-old woman whose home was hit by a falling tree, according to an Associated Press tally.
Helen made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend area late Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph, then quickly moved through Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee, uprooting trees and destroying homes. and caused streams and rivers to flow down their banks, putting strain on dams.
AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic losses caused by Helen to be between $95 billion and $110 billion.
More than 3 million people still without power
Approximately 3.1 million customers across the Southeast were without power on Saturday, even though Helen was restored on Saturday.
PowerOutage.us said customers were left in the dark in areas including South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida and Ohio.
Mike BediganSeptember 29, 2024 00:00
House fire caused by Hurricane Helen
Mike BediganSeptember 28, 2024 23:10
Death toll in 5 states after Helen incident
More than 50 deaths were reported from the storm in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia.
– At least 19 people have died in South Carolina, including two firefighters in Saluda County, state officials said.
– At least 17 people were killed in Georgia, two of them by the Alamo tornadoes, according to Gov. Brian Kemp’s press secretary.
– Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Saturday morning increased the number of confirmed deaths in the county to 11, including several drownings in Pinellas County.
– Six more deaths were reported in North Carolina, including the death of a 4-year-old girl in a car crash on storm-slick roads.
– One person was killed in Craig County, Virginia, after falling trees and buildings during the storm, according to Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Mike BediganSeptember 28, 2024 22:50
North Carolina village becomes ‘road to nowhere’ after flooding
Mike BediganSeptember 28, 2024 22:30
Image shows Helen rescuing people in North Carolina as she takes a tough stance on the state.
Images show rescue efforts in North Carolina where Helen takes a tough stance on the state.
Mike BediganSeptember 28, 2024 22:10
Tennessee dam failure no longer imminent
Nolichucky Dam near Greenville, Tennessee, is no longer in immediate danger of collapse, officials announced.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Morristown, Tennessee, issued a flash flood warning for towns and cities directly below dams on the Nolichucky River Saturday at 4 p.m. ET after dam operators reported “excessive water flow” over the dams. ) was extended.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency announced at a midday news conference that the dam was facing the possibility of imminent failure, but that is no longer the case.
TEMA Chief of Staff Alex Perrom said the agency is working with the Tennessee Valley Authority to “confirm that the Nolichucky River is no longer in that condition and there are no dam failures as reported at this time.” ” he said.
Mike BediganSeptember 28, 2024 21:50
Georgia provides ‘all available resources’ to victims in Helen aftermath
Mike BediganSeptember 28, 2024 21:10
Video: Family rescued from Helen floods
Mike BediganSeptember 28, 2024 20:50
Insurance companies could pay $5 billion to cover Helen’s losses
Insurance data provider AM Best estimated Friday that insurance companies will pay more than $5 billion to replace losses from Hurricane Helen.
AM Best said insurers paid out $2.5 billion to $4 billion in losses from Hurricane Idalia last year, but it expects losses from Helen to be even worse.
Mike BediganSeptember 28, 2024 20:30
