Sharjah 24 – AFP: Hurricane Helene knocked out power for millions in the southeast US and caused at least four fatalities after hitting Florida's coast.
As Helene weakened to a tropical storm, it moved inland through Georgia and South Carolina, leading to severe flooding and warnings of flash floods and landslides from up to 20 inches of rain. The National Hurricane Center warned of potentially catastrophic conditions, including record river flooding and significant landslides in the southern Appalachians.
As of early Friday, four people had died due to the storm: one in Florida, one in North Carolina, and two in Georgia. In Florida, a man was killed when a sign fell on a highway, while a couple in Georgia died when their trailer was lifted by a tornado. In Charlotte, NC, a tree fell on a home, claiming another life.
Over 3.4 million homes and businesses across Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas were without power. The storm made landfall near Tallahassee as a powerful Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph, prompting warnings of "unsurvivable" storm surge.
Residents faced severe flooding, with one Tampa Bay resident describing his home as submerged in four feet of water within half an hour of the storm's arrival.
President Biden and state officials urged evacuations, but some chose to stay. Rescue workers were deployed in Florida, while Governor DeSantis mobilized the National Guard for search and rescue operations.
Scientists suggest that climate change may be contributing to the rapid intensification of hurricanes due to warmer ocean temperatures.
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