Helene: In the Aftermath of Disaster

The states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, and Virginia were hit by a huge Hurricane. We were struck hard by Hurricane Helene. All of those states also accrued millions if not billions of dollars worth of damage. In these states as of October 5 the death toll had reached 277 people more than half of those deaths are from North Carolina and dozens more from other states.

North Carolina

North Carolina was the state that got hit the hardest the death toll from this state alone makes up half or more than half of the total death toll.

North Carolina hurricane aftermath video

Destructive winds

In Florida's big bend, there were some of the strongest wind gusts they have seen. It landed as a category 4 with 140-mile-an-hour winds and maintained those winds. After landing, it continued to move to the north at 30 miles an hour. The powerful winds and the hurricane's resistance to disappear left millions without power.

Storm surges

Debris is strewn on the lake in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in lake lure, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

This was a massive storm that was about 400 miles across matching the size of Hurricane Katrina this massive storm at its peak made surges of about 15 feet in the Big Bend area. That is a little less than two buses stacked on each other. That is a huge storm wave and can cause a lot of damage. This will also cause rivers to overflood and houses to flood. In places like the Louisiana coast, there is nowhere for the water to go so it just sits there and causes damage.

Videos:

• https://apnews.com/video/floods-north-carolina-natural-disasters-national-5a9144e3288646629796c4b7de0d32e6

• https://apnews.com/video/hurricanes-and-typhoons-north-carolina-joe-biden-asheville-national-be96fe66d43d42839a1e76ca285263f6

Pictures:

Debris left in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene is cleared saturday, Oct 5, 2024, in Del Rio, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Contractor Joshua Taylor walks up stairs covered in mud leading to the basement of a funeral home that was flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene while working to clean up the building saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Newport, Tenn ( AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Debris left in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene is cleared Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Del Rio, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Workers helping with clean up efforts stop for lunch under the shade of a tree as a building destroyed by Hurricane Helene is seen in the background Saturday, Oct. 5, in Newport, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Workers survey damage where a road once existed in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Wednesday, Oct 2, 2024, in Chimney Rock Vilage, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

All of the above pictures and descriptions are from the associated press

Chimney Rock, N.C.

The damage from Hurricane Helene was huge and it will take years to recover from this so don't forget about the damage caused by this massive hurricane.

Sources

BREED, ALLEN G. “Inside the North Carolina mountain town that Hurricane Helene nearly wiped off the map.” AP News, 5 October 2024, https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-helene-chimney-rock-north-carolina-da802219b70161816b73b24482b50684. Accessed 13 November 2024.

“Hurricane Katrina.” Hurricane Katrina ‑ Facts, Affected Areas & Lives Lost, 9 November 2009, https://www.history.com/topics/natural-disasters-and-environment/hurricane-katrina. Accessed 13 November 2024.

Mock, Cary. “How Hurricane Helene became a deadly disaster across 6 states.” University of South Carolina, 7 October 2024, https://www.sc.edu/uofsc/posts/2024/10/conversation-hurricane-helene-deadly-disaster-six-states.php. Accessed 13 November 2024.

SCHREINER, BRUCE. “Death toll from Hurricane Helene rises to 227 as grim task of recovering bodies continues.” AP News, 5 October 2024, https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-helene-death-toll-asheville-north-carolina-34d1226bb31f79dfb2ff6827e40587fc. Accessed 13 November 2024.

Verduzco, Erik. “Crews search for survivors in North Carolina's mountains days after Helene's deluge.” AP News, 1 October 2024, https://apnews.com/video/hurricanes-and-typhoons-natural-disasters-north-carolina-asheville-national-954d685df6b142b7afe44cc43a45afd6. Accessed 13 November 2024.