Mexico City. Southeastern states began a massive cleanup and recovery effort Sunday after the winds, rain and storm surge brought by Hurricane Helene They cut off power, destroyed roads and bridges, and caused catastrophic flooding from Florida to Virginia.
The storm caused at least 60 deaths, according to state and local authorities in South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. Authorities fear that even more bodies will be discovered in several states.
Damage estimates ranged from $15 billion to more than $100 billion, insurers and forecasters said over the weekend. The material damage and loss of economic output will become clearer as authorities assess the destruction.
On Thursday night, Helene hit the Gulf of Mexico coast in Florida after several days of torrential rains. More than 3 million customers suffered power outages over the weekend after an unprecedented storm, fierce winds and dangerous conditions extended hundreds of miles inland.
Some of the worst rain hit western North Carolina, which saw nearly 30 inches fall on Mount Mitchell in Yancey County, the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center reported.
Transportation officials said more than 400 highways remained closed in the state, where the governor reported two deaths Saturday.
Floodwaters overtopped the Lake Lure dam in Rutherford County, and residents of and around Chimney Rock described the center of town as washed out. Images showed inches of mud and sediment, uprooted trees and broken telephone poles and buildings turned into rubble.
Just to the south in eastern Tennessee, Greene County officials fear the Nolichucky Dam is on the verge of collapse, but the Tennessee Valley Authority reported late Saturday that the structure was stable and safe.
“The devastation we are witnessing after the hurricane Helene “It’s overwhelming,” President Joe Biden said Saturday. “Jill and I continue to pray for all those who have lost loved ones and for all those affected by this storm.”
South Carolina recorded the highest number of fatalities, since local authorities have so far counted 24, many of them the result of falling trees.
Seventeen people, including children, died in Georgia due to Helene, Governor Brian Kemp said after seeing the damage in Valdosta.
A total of 11 people died in Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis said Saturday from Perry, on the Gulf of Mexico coast, which was hit by 15-foot waves, larger than those seen in hurricanes in recent years.
In the Steinhatchee coastal area, a storm surge – a wall of sea water pushed ashore by winds – of 8 to 10 feet displaced mobile homes, the weather service said.
The tiny nearby community of Spring Warrior Fish Camp was assessing the damage Saturday and still waiting for emergency or first responders.
“No one thinks about us here,” said David Hall, as he and his wife rummaged through seaweed and dead fish in the office of the hotel they owned. Many of the houses there are built on stilts due to a local ordinance and survived severe damage.
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– 2024-10-03 03:00:31
