Remnants of Hurricane Helene stalls over Tennessee Valley as death toll rises to 52, damage nears $110B
The remnants of Hurricane Helene stalled over the Tennessee Valley Saturday as the death toll from the destructive storm climbed to 52, with nearly 3.8 million homes and businesses across 10 states still without power, as damage estimates swelled to $110 billion.
The monstrous storm, which was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone Saturday, lashed across the southeastern United States after making landfall in Florida Thursday night.
Helene, one of the most powerful storms to rip through the US, packing up to 140 mph winds, was the third system to tear through the Panhandle region in just over a year.
Deaths were recorded across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, including a mother and her twin babies, three firefighters and an 89-year-old woman whose home was crushed by a downed tree.
At a press conference Saturday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he saw “complete obliteration” of homes across the coast, and reported that storm surges there reached 15 to 18 feet — and possibly even 20 feet at times.
Helene's path of destruction
- Helene slammed into Florida’s Big Bend coastline Thursday night as a Category 4 hurricane, pounding the state with 155-mph gusts and killing at least 13.
- Helene moved northeast into Georgia, where it was downgraded to a tropical storm by Friday morning, but winds and floods left 25 dead in the state.
- By Friday afternoon, Helene had moved over parts of Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, where at least 29 died.
- Relentless rain drenched Appalachia Friday night, sending floodwaters and mudslides crashing through mountain towns.
- In North Carolina, at least 35 people died in the Asheville area, and a tornado injured 15 in Rocky Mount.
- Over the weekend, rescuers struggled to clear roads and recover bodies. The death toll is 192 and counting.
Significant river flooding continued across the southern Appalachians Saturday and flood warnings remained in effect for portions of the Southeast and the central and southern Appalachians, according to the National Weather Service.
Heavy rain nearly collapsed the Nolichucky Dam in Greeneville, Tennessee, which the NWS called a “particularly dangerous situation,” as it urged at least 100,000 residents in the area to “Seek higher ground now!”
The dam remained intact despite water levels reaching 8 feet over the record crest, but officials said continued assessments were underway to determine “next steps,” the Tennessee Valley Authority said.
Although the heavy rain passed, many parts of northeast Tennessee remained flooded, its Emergency Management Agency posted on X Saturday. “All roads should be considered potentially hazardous,” it warned.
President Biden approved emergency disaster relief aid for the state on Saturday. He declared a disaster in South Carolina on Friday. Similar declarations were made for Florida and Georgia ahead of the storm.
Over one million homes and businesses in South Carolina alone remained without power as of Saturday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.US, the most in the state since Hurricane Irma knocked out power to 7.6 million in 2017.
“Team SC is hard at work cleaning up, clearing the roads, and getting the power back on,” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said on X on Friday. “This is going to take some time, many days in some places,” he added.
Saturday, he reposted photos from the state’s Department of Transportation showing crews working alongside utility companies to clear thousands of trees downed by the storm in the western part of the state.
In Georgia, Atlanta saw 11.2 inches of rain in 48 hours, beating out a 9.6-inch record from 1886. River flooding in the state had dropped as much as 10 feet by Saturday, according to meteorologists.
In Busick, North Carolina, nearly 30 inches of rain fell in two days.
Western parts of the North Carolina were essentially cut off after landslides and flooding shut down Interstate 40 and other roads, according to reports.
Hundreds of water rescues took place across the region, including a dramatic scene atop an eastern Tennessee hospital roof where dozens of staff and patients were saved by helicopter.
Many flash flood emergency warnings were expiring as of Saturday, Fox Weather meteorologist Stephen McCloud told The Post, as river flooding across the states hit began to recede. “Now it becomes more about the cleanup process,” he said.
“The worst of it is behind us,” McCloud added.
Massive storm surges in densely populated parts of Florida, including the Tampa Bay area, and catastrophic flooding in the Appalachians are expected to make up the bulk of the destruction and economic losses, according to experts.
The total losses from Helene will be between $95 billion and $110 billion, according to an AccuWeather estimate, taking into account damage to homes, businesses, roads, vehicles and the effects of power outages, lost wages, flight delays, supply chain impacts and more.
Airlines were recovering after massive delays and widespread cancellations Friday. There were 1,300 flight delays and 135 cancellations across the US at midday Saturday, according to tracking service FlightAware.
The losses from Helene could place it as one of the most destructive storms to hit the U.S.
Hurricane Ian in 2022 brought $180 to $210 billion in total damage and economic loss while 2017’s Hurricanes Harvey in 2017 caused $190 billion.
Hurricane Sandy in 2012 saw $210 billion in losses and Katrina in 2005 brought $320 billion.
Remnants of the storm fell as light rain on the NYC region Saturday, and were expected to continue into the start of the work week.
Meanwhile, three other storms swirled in the Atlantic, including two with the potential to make landfall in the U.S. Hurricane Issac steamed its way through the north central Atlantic, where it is expected to dissipate within a few days, while Tropical Storm Joyce churned hundreds of miles eastof the Caribbean, and appeared to be heading north.
A third storm, not yet named, began forming to Joyce’s south and east, and is expected to grow in size and strength over the next few days as it progresses across the ocean.
With Post wires
