At least three people have died as Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida at Category 4 strength, prompting urgent evacuation orders and widespread power outages across the southeastern United States. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) described the hurricane as "extremely dangerous," with winds reaching up to 155 miles per hour and catastrophic storm surges expected. The eye of the storm made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida, causing severe damage and displacement. President Joe Biden urged residents to heed evacuation calls, while Governor Ron DeSantis mobilized the National Guard and declared a state of emergency across nearly all of Florida's counties.
As the storm approached, Florida witnessed long lines of vehicles evacuating towards central areas less exposed to the hurricane's wrath. Health facilities began evacuating patients, and mandatory evacuation orders were issued in multiple counties. With over a million homes without power and significant flooding expected, the situation remains dire. The impacts of Hurricane Helene are not limited to Florida, as neighboring states like Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina also reported power outages and storm damage.
Hurricane Helene marks the first major hurricane to hit the United States since Idalia in August 2023, highlighting the increasing intensity of storms in recent years, which experts attribute in part to climate change. The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season has been less active than anticipated, but the rapid intensification of storms like Helene raises concerns for future weather patterns.
