At least 42 deaths, streets flooded by an unprecedented storm surge, damage to structures and more than four million people without power is the desolate panorama in the southeastern United States, after the arrival of Helene as a category 4 hurricane.
In the southeastern United States, where Helene continued its destructive path as a tropical storm after entering the west coast of Florida, more than four million homes and offices are without electricity, according to the specialized website PowerOutage.
The hurricane made landfall just after 11:00 p.m. Thursday night, local time (03:00 GMT Friday), near the town of Perry, in the region of northwest Florida known as Big Bend, with maximum sustained winds of 225 kilometers per hour.
This area woke up today with streets covered with trees and fallen poles, as well as areas flooded by the rise of the tide (at least 3 meters above its usual level) that brought with it Helene, which according to meteorologists is the worst hurricane. hard that has hit the Big Bend.
Videos and photos show large waves hitting bridges and homes in coastal areas that were almost submerged in water during the cyclone’s passage.
In the Cedar Key area, near where Helene made landfall and which saw a sea level rise of 2.7 meters overnight, patrols began early in the morning to remove trees from main roads to maintain the flow of water. the lifeguards.
So far this Friday, more than 700 flights have been canceled in the US, the vast majority of them with scheduled departures or arrivals at the international airports of Charlotte (North Carolina), Atlanta (Georgia) and Tampa (Florida).
Although Tallahassee, the capital of Florida, was spared the direct impact that was feared, because the system moved further east, other capitals, such as Atlanta (Georgia), remain under emergency due to flash flooding in its metropolitan area, detailed the NHC.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said that at least twenty people have been rescued overnight after being trapped in floodwaters inside homes or cars.
The governor of this state, Brian Kemp, said today that several hospitals in the south of this state have lost power and that rescue teams are heading east, where several residents have been trapped in their homes.
In anticipation of Helene’s trajectory between Thursday and Friday, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, signed a disaster declaration for the states of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Alabama.
In the Asheville area of North Carolina, where a mandatory evacuation order is in effect, river flooding is expected to reach historic records, and landslides may also occur in the mountainous areas of western North Carolina.
In its most recent bulletin, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Helene is still producing “damaging wind gusts and potentially life-threatening flooding in several parts of the Southeast and southern Appalachians.” ”.
As it continues to move over land, the system continues to weaken and now has maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour, and is moving rapidly northward at 52 kilometers per hour.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp reported eleven fatalities in his state, including a first responder, and warned that the city of Valdosta had identified 115 heavily damaged structures with several people trapped inside.
Authorities in Pinellas County, Florida, confirmed five deaths related to the storm. Another death was also confirmed in North Carolina, when a tree fell on a house, the fire department said.
With Typhoon Yagi hitting Asia, Storm Boris drenching Europe and extreme flooding in the Sahel, September has so far been a very wet month globally.
Scientists link some extreme weather events directly to human-caused global warming, but it is still too early to draw clear conclusions about the current month.
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