States in the Southeastern US began a major cleanup and rescue effort on Sunday after gusts of wind, rain and storm surge from Hurricane Helene knocked out power to millions, destroyed roads and bridges, and caused catastrophic flooding from Florida to Virginia.
The death toll continues to rise as emergency responses continue in South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. The storm killed at least 69 people, according to a Reuters count of state and local officials. Officials fear that more bodies will be found.
Damage estimates range from $15 billion to more than $100 billion, insurers and forecasters said over the weekend. Property damage and economic losses will become clear as officials assess the damage.
In this aerial view, boats pile up in front of homes after Hurricane Helene made landfall as it made landfall on September 28, 2024 in Treasure Island, Florida. Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday night in Florida’s Big Bend with winds of up to 140 mph and tornadoes that killed at least 42 people in several states.
Joe Raedle Getty Images News | Getty Images
South Carolina recorded the highest death toll, reporting 25 deaths, many of them affected by falling trees.
“It’s a terrible mistake, but we can get past it,” South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said at a press conference on Sunday. “Help is on the way, but it will take time.”
In North Carolina, the death toll has risen to 11, said Governor Roy Cooper. All roads in the western part of the state should be considered closed and it will take months to repair them, he said. Food and water are being airlifted to those areas.
In Flat Rock, North Carolina, there were widespread power outages, and people waited hours in line to get gas.
“Grocery stores are closed, cell phone service is out,” said Chip Frank, 62, as he entered the third hour of waiting in line. “Everything depends on these gas stations. You can’t go anywhere, and it’s just a scary feeling.”
The storm damaged water systems, communications and critical transportation routes throughout the region, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Army Corps of Engineers will begin assessing damage to the water system on Sunday to help them get back online, FEMA said.
An estimated 2.7 million customers were without power on Sunday, a US Energy Department official said, down 40% from Friday after an unprecedented storm surge, strong winds and dangerous conditions stretched hundreds of miles inland.
A drone view shows a flooded and damaged area, following Hurricane Helene in Steinhatchee, Florida, US, on September 27, 2024.
Marco Bello Reuters
Florida’s Gulf Coast hit
Days of rain followed after Helene hit Florida’s Gulf Coast on Thursday night, destroying homes that had been there for decades.
Eleven people have died in Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis said Saturday in the Gulf Coast city of Perry, where storm surges of 15 meters (4.5-meters) broke out, larger than those seen in other hurricanes in recent years.
In Horseshoe Beach, on Florida’s Gulf Coast about 120 miles west of Gainesville, Charlene Huggins surveyed the wreckage of her blown-out home, pulling a jacket from the debris Saturday.
“Five generations have lived in this house, from my grandmother, my father, myself, my daughter, my son and my grandson,” said Huggins, holding a cut glass cake stand. “So many memories here. It just breaks your heart.”
David Hester assesses the damage to his home after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, on September 28, 2024.
Chandan Khanna | Afp | Getty Images
In the distance, James Ellenburg stood on the spot where his family had lived for four generations. “I took the first step right here in the yard.”
The roof of one house fell to the ground, its walls were blown away.
Off the coast of Steinhatchee, a storm surge – a wall of sea water pushed by winds – of eight to 10 meters (2.4 to 3 feet) swept away mobile homes, forecasters said.
In the small nearby community of Spring Warrior Fish Camp, people were assessing the damage Saturday and were still waiting for emergency or first aid.
“Nobody thinks about us here,” said David Hall, as he and his wife dug through seaweed and dead fish in the office of the hotel they owned. Many of the community’s homes were built on logs due to local law and survived major damage.
Kristin Macqueen was helping friends clean up after their house was destroyed in nearby Keaton Beach. “It was completely destroyed. The houses were just destroyed by the slabs,” he said.
Some of the heaviest rain fell in western North Carolina, where nearly 76 inches fell on Mount Mitchell in Yancey County, the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center reported.
In this aerial view, electrical workers work on a line after Hurricane Helene made landfall on September 27, 2024 in Crystal River, Florida.
Joe Raedle Getty Images News | Getty Images
Water overflowed the Lake Lure Dam in Rutherford County, and residents of Chimney Rock and surrounding areas described the downtown area as washed away. Pictures showed piles of mud and dirt, downed trees and downed telephone poles, and buildings turned into rubble.
In southeast Tennessee, officials in Greene County worried that the Nolichucky Dam was on the verge of failure, but the Tennessee Valley Authority reported late Saturday that it was stable and safe.
17 people, including children, have died in Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp said after surveying the damage in Valdosta.
“It’s sad,” US President Joe Biden told reporters on Sunday, a day after declaring a major disaster in Florida. “You’ve seen the pictures. It’s amazing.”