Helene has transitioned from a formidable Category 4 hurricane to a post-tropical cyclone, yet its impact remains devastating across the Southeast United States.
Despite its downgrade, Helene brought historic flooding to multiple states, with particularly severe effects in Florida’s Big Bend region where it first made landfall.
The storm’s wrath led to at least 39 deaths, extensive power outages affecting over 4.5 million people, and unprecedented storm surges, like the record 9.63 feet observed in the small town of Steinhatchee.
This event underscores the increasing intensity of weather phenomena potentially linked to climate change, with Helene’s warm-water-fueled strength making it the most powerful hurricane to hit this part of Florida since records began.
“This is overwhelming,” Lee said. “I don’t think it’s sunk in.”
For several hours, the storm maintained hurricane strength as it pushed inland across northern Florida and into Georgia. By 5 p.m. ET, the weather service said Helene had weakened to a post-tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 35 mph. The storm crossed into Kentucky and was about 50 miles south-southeast of Louisville.
Also Read | America Record High Temperatures on Monday During Unusually Warm Winter
Flood warnings are telling people in parts of the Carolinas and Atlanta to move to higher ground because there’s been a lot of rain, up to 10 inches in some places.
There are many rescue operations happening because of the heavy rain and flooding, especially in western Florida where the coast is also flooded. Also, a lot of people, over 4.5 million, don’t have electricity from Florida all the way up to Virginia.
