LHurricane Helene caused at least 201 deaths in the southeast of the United States, according to a report compiled Thursday by AFP based on statements from local authorities.
Half of these deaths (100) were recorded in North Carolina, South Carolina deplored 41, Georgia 33, Florida 14, Tennessee 11, and Virginia two. Helene is thus the second deadliest hurricane to have hit the United States in more than half a century, after Katrina in 2005. Scientists have linked its intensity to the warming of the seas caused by climate change.
If on Thursday morning, almost a week after these devastating floods, the weather was beautiful and the carcasses and debris of all kinds were cleared from the main roads, life is far from returning to normal.
In the parking lot of a closed fast-food restaurant, veterinarians offer free emergency care for pets. Audrey Pace, veterinary clinic technician, came to lend a hand.
A little further away, an area with mobile homes serving as dwellings, typical of poor rural areas in the United States, was completely swept away, homes displaced, their windows smashed. From one comes out through the torn partition a red Christmas garland and a child’s clothing with the “Star-Wars” logo. There is no one left.
