Helene aftermath: At least 56 dead, severe flood risk remains

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Helene aftermath: At least 56 dead, severe flood risk remains

(NewsNation) — The worst of Helene’s storm is behind, but the aftermath troubles much of the southeastern U.S. with at least 56 people dead and millions without power days after the former hurricane’s landfall.

Now considered a post-tropical cyclone, Helene’s catastrophic flooding remains a concern as it moves east toward Kentucky and Tennessee.

The Category 4 hurricane reached wind speeds up to 140 mph as it made landfall Thursday night in Florida’s Big Bend region.

Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia experienced heavy rainfall and severe flooding on Friday, and each governor declared a state of emergency to receive federal assistance.

Multiple deaths across those states have been attributed to drowning, while some were the result of downed trees. State officials say dozens more are still trapped inside their homes.

As Helene continues to move eastward, the amount of rainfall will decrease.

“Most of the rainfall across the central and southern Appalachians has come to an end, although a few lingering showers are possible through Saturday,” the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory. Several flood warnings remain in effect across the southeast.

Some of the worst destruction occurred in the storm’s center in Florida’s Big Bend region and South Georgia. Inland cities like Atlanta and Asheville were not shielded from the storm’s impact.

Moody’s Analytics, a company that analyzes economic research, estimates up to $26 billion in property damage caused by Helene.

Helene in Tennessee

A major dam in northeast Tennessee collapsed around 7:11 a.m. ET, according to an alert from the National Water Prediction Service at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Early Saturday morning, the National Weather Service warned of an “imminent breach” of the Nolichucky Dam on the Nolichucky River, urging immediate evacuation.

Emergency Management in Unicoi County, Tenn., confirmed “deaths” following flooding in the county.

On Friday, 54 people were rescued from a hospital roof in the same area.

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In Tennessee:

Helene in North Carolina

In North Carolina, floodwaters have also rendered cell service and local roads useless in the state’s largest mountain city, Asheville. At least five tornadoes across the state have also been confirmed, according to NewsNation local affiliate WNCN.

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In North Carolina:

Helene in Georgia

Within 48 hours, Atlanta received a record 11.62 inches of rain, according to the National Hurricane Center’s Weather Prediction Center data. Asheville received 13.15 inches of rain.

Valdosta, Georgia, was directly hit. A 135-year-old shopping mall, which housed over 50 businesses, was torn apart brick by brick. The owner told NewsNation that rebuilding is not an option.

One Georgia resident, Aaron Jameson, told NewsNation’s Mills Hayes that Helene has impacted his community more than 2023’s Hurricane Idalia.

Residents are lining up at the few open gas stations to get fuel, water and, potentially, food.

“Everything is pretty much down. They got a lot of food trucks kicking up, but most everybody I’ve seen is pretty much outdoor grilling and stuff,” Jameson said.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp will tour the damage in Valdosta sometime Saturday.

“The winds were really, really strong and picked up a lot of trees … motorcycles, cars were moving around,” said Valdosta resident Vonquez Garland. “Houses were shaking. It’s a lot of oak trees completely out of the ground.”

“When I woke up, there was stuff everywhere. I ain’t never seen anything like this, not since the last time (Hurricane Idalia in 2023), but this one was worse,” said Valdosta-area resident Rodrick Steward.

The Associated Press reports at least two died from a suspected tornado in Georgia.

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In Georgia:

Helene in Florida

Around 3.8 million people are without electricity on Saturday; the majority of which are in South Carolina, with just over 1 million. Florida’s emergency services worked speedily, lowering the number of outages to 480,000.

The entire community in Taylor County, Florida, still does not have power. Andrew Morgan, the county’s emergency management public information officer, said crews have worked tirelessly to clear 90% of all major roads, and once the roads are clear, they can begin fixing power lines.

“We’re going to continue to just move forward and clear out the debris and keep searching and we’ll get back to where we were before this,” Morgan said.

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In Florida:

Helene in South Carolina

According to NewsNation’s local affiliate WSPA, two dozen deaths across seven counties have been confirmed by local coroner’s offices.

More than 667,000 customers remain without power in the impacted area, with provider Duke Energy warning customers to expect multi-day outages. Many upstate schools have closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Another man, in Spartanburg County, passed away after running a generator inside his home, while another person died after their vehicle became submerged in the extensive floods.

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In South Carolina:

Helene in Virginia

West Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office reports 70 rescues across the Commonwealth in the wake of Helene. Flooding, dangerous storms and deadly tornadoes have ransacked the southwest portion of the state.

“We’ve immediately started the initial damage assessment process necessary to request a federal disaster relief declaration and I will immediately make that request once this work is completed. The grit, courage, and perseverance of Southwest Virginians will guide us through this difficult time,” Youngkin said during a visit to Damascus on Saturday.

“There’s a lot of work ahead, but together, I know Southwest Virginia will rebuild stronger than ever. May God continue to be with everyone affected, and may we continue to uplift and support one another in this time of need,” he added.

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In Virginia:

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