Hurricane Helene, category 4 on a scale of 5, hit northwest Florida Thursday evening with winds of more than 225 km/h.
According to local authorities, at least 44 people have died and millions of Americans are without electricity after the passage of Hurricane Helen, which continues to trigger massive flooding in the southeastern United States on Friday, where it continues its path as a tropical storm. From Tallahassee, Florida to Charlotte, North Carolina, strong winds and heavy rains caused flash floods and falling trees. On the Florida coast, marine submersion has caused significant flooding, with sea levels rising by more than 15 feet in places.
At least 20 people died in South Carolina, 15 in Georgia, seven in Florida, one in North Carolina and one in Virginia, according to a report compiled by AFP from statements by local authorities. And more than four million homes were without electricity Friday evening, according to the poweroutage.us website. “We have made nearly 600 rescues”Deanne Criswell, head of the federal agency responsible for responding to natural disasters (Fema), declared on CNN. “The threat is not over” and the situation “is always dangerous”she added, highlighting the risk of flash flooding, particularly in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia. The US Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned that flooding “historical” et “catastrophic”accompanied by landslides, would continue in the Appalachians until Friday evening.
A heavy toll
Hélène made landfall in northwest Florida on Thursday evening as a category 4 hurricane on a scale of 5, with winds blowing at 225 km/h. It was the most powerful hurricane to ever hit this region, according to expert Michael Lowry. “It was really scary at one point. I was wondering, is my house going to be blown away or not?”Larry Bailey Jr. told AFP in the small town of Perry, Florida. “We went to my sister’s room and said a prayer”said this 32-year-old man, who had taken refuge with her and two nephews. “We are relieved and pray that another (hurricane) does not come, because there is still about a month left in the season.”
On Treasure Island, near Tampa, Florida, pleasure boats have run aground in the gardens. Five deaths have been confirmed in this area, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. “This storm was deadly. Eleven deaths have been confirmed”Georgia Governor Brian Kemp also declared on Friday noon. One of those people was part of a rescue team, he said. In Charlotte, North Carolina, a person died when a tree fell on their home, the city’s firefighters announced.
Power due to hot water
Authorities in Taylor County, Florida, had asked reluctant residents to write their names on their bodies with permanent markers to help identify them if they were killed. According to the site poweroutage.us, at 5:00 p.m. GMT, around 1.3 million customers were without electricity in South Carolina, a million in Georgia, 900,000 in Florida and also 900,000 in North Carolina.
By warming ocean waters, climate change makes the rapid intensification of these storms more likely and increases the risk of more powerful hurricanes. After forming, Helen moved over particularly warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico — more than 30°C, according to climatologist Andra Garner. “It is likely that these very warm waters played a role in the rapid intensification of Hélène”underlined the expert.
“We also know that hurricane-related marine flooding is getting worse because ocean levels are rising as we warm the planet.”she explained. US President Joe Biden was briefed on the situation and approved the state of emergency declarations of the states of Florida, Georgia, South and North Carolina and Alabama. He urged residents to follow safety instructions from local authorities.
