Hurricane Helene Devastates Southeastern U.S. with 44 Deaths and Billions in Damage

Hurricane Helene, also known as Hurricane Harlin, has wreaked havoc across the southeastern United States, resulting in at least 44 fatalities and extensive property damage estimated between $15 billion and $26 billion. The storm made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane with winds reaching 140 mph, rapidly moving through Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee. As of Saturday, over three million customers were still without power, and severe flooding continued to pose challenges for residents in affected areas.

The impact of Hurricane Helene has been particularly devastating in western North Carolina, where mudslides and flooding have closed key highways, isolating communities. Rescue operations have been intense, with notable efforts in Unicoi County, Tennessee, where dozens of individuals were airlifted from a hospital surrounded by floodwaters. The National Hurricane Center has warned that Helene, now a post-tropical cyclone, could bring further rainfall and flooding to the Tennessee Valley over the weekend.

The storm's aftermath has led to significant infrastructure damage, with power companies reporting catastrophic impacts on public services. In Georgia alone, over 100 power lines were damaged, and in South Carolina, more than 40% of customers experienced outages. Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina described the storm as one of the worst in modern history for the region, emphasizing that the danger persists even after the rain ceases.