OAN Staff Abril Elfi
12:32 PM – Saturday, September 28, 2024
Hurricane Helene has caused at least 52 deaths, billions of dollars of damages, and left more than 3 million people without power.
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With winds of 140 mph, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region late on Thursday. It made way through Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, uprooting trees, shattering homes, forcing creeks and rivers over their banks, and stressing dams.
Garrison Douglas, the spokesperson for Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R-Ga.), announced that at least 15 people were killed in The Peach State. WRDW TV reported that among those deaths were a four-year-old girl, a seven-year-old boy, and a first responder.
In South Carolina, 17 people died as a result of the storm. Two of the individuals were firefighters on duty.
Countless others have died in North Carolina and in Florida.
Most of the reported deaths have occurred by falling trees or are due to individuals drowning in the water.
The storm caused catastrophic damage, submerging several homes up to the roofline and destroying boats. Emergency responders were having difficulties rescuing stranded individuals due to damaged trees, power lines, and other debris.
In the meantime, nearly four million people lost electricity from Florida all the way up the east coast to Virginia.
Over 100 people have been rescued from the rising waters, and numerous landslides have been reported during the “fierce storm,” North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (D-N.C.) said Friday.
“People in western North Carolina should consider all roads closed unless you are seeking higher ground,” he said.
Flash flood emergencies are currently in effect in five states: Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
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