Hurricane Helen has claimed the lives of at least 63 people, according to U.S. authorities. Rescue workers, slowed by blocked roads and bridges, are still searching for survivors in southern and eastern states. Emergency teams are working to restore power and address the hurricane’s aftermath, which flooded roads, homes, and businesses, leaving many destroyed.
States Severely Impacted
As reported by AFP, 24 people died in South Carolina, 17 in Georgia, 11 in Florida, 10 in North Carolina, and one in Virginia. The National Hurricane Center confirmed that “conditions will improve after two days of catastrophic flooding.”
Hurricane Helen made landfall in northwest Florida on Thursday, reaching Category 4 with winds of 225 kilometers per hour. A federal emergency was declared in six states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
In Cedar Key, a small island in Florida, roofs collapsed, and walls crumbled. Afterward, the storm moved across multiple states, causing landslides and floods that reached Asheville, North Carolina.
Devastating Impact
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper noted, “This is one of the worst storms to hit the western region in recent history.” He added that emergency teams are still rescuing those trapped by the storm.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service warned that a dam in eastern Tennessee is at risk of collapsing, urging residents in low-lying areas to “move to higher ground immediately.”
