Hurricane Helene: ‘We are going to bounce back’

Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm near Perry, Florida, on Thursday night. It was downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved north through Georgia and North Carolina.

‘We are going to bounce back’

Update 2:56 p.m. ET, Sept. 27: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that the state will come back after yet another hurricane, but it won’t happen immediately.

“We are going to bounce back,” DeSantis said, according to The Associated Press.

“It’s tough and we understand that. We also understand that this is a resilient state,” he said.

“We’re going to get people back on their feet. It’s not easy to go through this. It’s not going to be easy in the immediate future, but there’s going to be a light at the end of the tunnel.”

In Tennessee, at least 50 people are stuck on the roof of a hospital in Erwin, Tennessee. The call to evacuate Unicoi County Hospital was made at 9:30 a.m. but flooding and high winds did not allow ambulances and helicopters to get there safely. That’s when 54 people were told to go to the roof and seven others climbed into rescue boats, CNN reported. Eleven of the people needing rescue were patients.

At least 30 killed in 4 states

Update 2:52 p.m. ET, Sept. 27: The death toll continues to rise.

The Associated Press said that at least 30 people have died in four states - Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Two firefighters were killed in Saluda County, South Carolina. They were responding to emergency calls when they died, the AP reported. In all, 17 people in South Carolina have died.

Storm weakens; Landslide hits car

Update 2:16 p.m. ET, Sept. 27: The former Hurricane Helene, now a tropical depression, has weakened. The winds were 35mph as of Friday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said.

But despite the winds getting weaker, the storm was “still producing historic and catastrophic flooding” the NHC said.

The storm is also causing massive landslides in North Carolina.

Kelly and Alan Keffer were driving on Interstate 40 through Black Mountain, North Carolina when the hillside next to the road came down on the highway.

“My husband happened to see something from the corner of his eye and then we started to hear things pounding on top of the car, so he stepped on the gas,” Kelly Keffer said, according to CNN.

South Carolina death toll rises

Update 2:14 p.m. ET, Sept. 27: At least nine people have been killed by the storms in South Carolina, The Associated Press reported. Three of the nine happened Friday morning, but officials didn’t give details on what happened or where the deaths occurred.

Four deaths had been reported in Aiken County and two were in Anderson County.

North Carolina dam overtopped, now not expected to fail

Update 2:09 p.m. ET, Sept. 27: Despite a warning from Rutherford County, North Carolina, officials that Lake Lure Dam was about to fail, officials from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality said the damn has been overtopped but won’t fail, The Associated Press reported.

There are 29 streets in what Kat Russell called “the dam inundation area.”

Russell said there was some erosion on one side of the dam because of the overtopping and communities below the dam have been told of the issue. They would have several hours to alert people to evacuate if needed, officials said, according to the AP.

The lake was featured in the film “Dirty Dancing” as a stand-in for New York’s Catskill Mountains, the AP reported.

House catches fire in middle of hurricane

Update 2:05 p.m. ET, Sept. 27: First responders conducting water rescues discovered a house on fire surrounded by flood waters left by Hurricane Helene.

Pinellas County, Fla deaths

Update 1:25 p.m. ET, Sept 27: More deaths are reported in Florida in the rapidly changing situation.

Pinellas County Sheriff said that now five people were killed by Hurricane Helene, The Associated Press reported.

The people had been told to evacuate but chose to stay and were trapped by an 8-foot storm surge, Bob Gualtieri said.

“We made our case, we told people what they needed to do and they chose otherwise,” the sheriff said, adding that deputies tried to rescue the people trapped but it was not safe, the AP reported.

“I was out there personally. We tried to launch boats, we tried to use high-water vehicles and we just met with too many obstacles,” Gualtieri said.

Gualtieri expects the death too to rise.

Death toll breakdown

Update 1:08 p.m. ET, Sept. 27: So far a total of 23 people have died because of Hurricane Helene, CNN reported.

Eight people were killed in Florida including:

• Dixie County: A falling tree killed a person
• Ybor City, in Tampa: A falling sign hit a car on Interstate 4 killing a person
• Pinellas County: Two dead.
• Treasure Island: Two dead.
• Dunedin: One dead.
• Tampa: One dead when water got into the home of a woman in her 70s.

Eleven people were killed in Georgia:

• Alamo: Two people killed in tornado
• Nine others were killed in the storm.

Two were killed in South Carolina:

• Anderson County: Both people were killed by falling trees.

Two were killed in North Carolina:

• Claremont: A 4-year-old girl was killed in a car crash on a wet road.
• Charlotte: One killed by a falling tree that crashed on home.

2 feet of rain

Update 1:05 p.m. ET, Sept 27: More than two feet of rain fell in North Carolina’s mountains from Wednesday to Friday morning, CNN reported. Busick had 29.58 inches of rain in 48 hours, the NWS Weather Prediction Center said.

2 dead in South Carolina, 23 Helene-related deaths overall

Update 12:12 p.m. ET, Sept. 27: There have been at least 23 deaths attributed to now Tropical Storm Helene. One woman was killed when a tree fell on her home in Anderson, South Carolina. Her death was the second death in the state, The Associated Press reported.

Police officer hurt when tree falls on cruiser

Update 11:59 a.m. ET, Sept. 27: A police officer in Georgia was injured when a tree fell on his cruiser when he was on his way home, WSB reported.

The officer had been driving along a highway after he was on duty Friday morning patrolling Clayton County. The tree hit the food of the SUV, destroying it, but it could have been much worse, officials said.

“It’s truly a blessing that he wasn’t driving faster, as the tree could have landed directly on the cab. We are relieved that Officer Soumah is doing well and extend our gratitude for his dedicated service to the citizens of Clayton County,” officials wrote on Facebook.

Death toll rises

Update 11:46 a.m. ET, Sept. 27: A spokesperson for Gov. Brian Kemp said at least 11 people have died in Georgia, The Associated Press reported. Garrison Douglas did not specify where the deaths occurred or how they happened.

In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper said that there have been two deaths there and that more are expected. The state will see flash flooding, landslides and power outages.

“The priority now is saving lives,” Cooper said, as he told residents to stay off roads unless seeking higher ground, the AP reported.

In Florida, crews are focusing on search and rescue, state officials said.

“As those sorts of rescue missions happen today, and continue, please do not go out and visit the impacted areas,” the executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said. “I beg of you, do not get in their way.”

Pinellas County sheriff called the scene on the barrier island “a war zone.” Sand is piled up 4 to 5 feet high, CNN reported.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri likened the sand piles to “snowbanks. "

“You cannot see the ground. (…) You really need a big plow to get it off the roadway,” Gualtieri said, according to CNN. ”Some of that sand out there is probably as much as four and five feet high.”

What does the eye of a hurricane feel like?

Update 11:38 a.m. ET, Sept. 27: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shared a video of the eyewall of Hurricane Helene before it made landfall.

You can see the WP-3D Orion plane shaking as it flew in the storm to collect data.

North Carolina dam failure ‘imminent’

Update 11:34 a.m. ET, Sept. 27: The Lake Lure Dam near Asheville, North Carolina, could fail at any moment, emergency management officials said, according to CNN.

The Rutherford County Emergency Management team posted to Facebook: RESIDENTS BELOW THE LAKE LURE DAM NEED TO EVACUATE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY!! DAM FAILURE IMMINIENT!! EVACUATE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY!!”

The National Weather Service said that “catastrophic flows” from Broad River into the lake are “overtopping” the dam, CNN reported. The area had about a foot of rainfall in the past 24 hours.

Six deaths attributed to Helene

Update 9:10 a.m. ET, Sept. 27: At least six people have died as a result of Hurricane Helene. ABC News reported one person died in Florida, four in Georgia and one in North Carolina.

Photos from the aftermath

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Power outages

Update 7:34 a.m. ET, Sept. 27: More than 3.2 million people are without power in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia because of Helene, CNN reported.

The breakdown by state as of 7 a.m. according to PowerOutage.us and CNN:

• Florida: at least 1,205,659
• Georgia: 936,957
• South Carolina: 849,968
• North Carolina: 264,354
• Virginia: 13,794

The storm is expected to continue to weaken and turn north then northwest and move into Tennessee and Kentucky, Jack Beven, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center said, according to The Associated Press. The storm could bring mudslides and flash flooding when it hits the Appalachian Mountains.

What you may have missed

Update 7:10 a.m. ET, Sept. 27: Hurricane Helene hit Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 near Perry Florida at about 11:10 p.m. At the time it had 140 mph sustained winds and gusts much higher, the National Hurricane Center said.

By 1 a.m. ET, the eyewall of the storm was moving into Georgia and bringing a life-threatening storm surge.

By 5 a.m. Helene was downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved further inland over Georgia, but the NHC still warned of life-threatening storm surge, wins and heavy rain.

Helene brought damage throughout Georgia, bringing down trees.

One woman had to be rescued from her home in Griffin, Georgia when the roof of her house collapsed, WSB reported. Residents of an Atlanta apartment complex had to be rescued by boat. Officials said 25 people were rescued and were sheltering in MARTA buses.

A family, including an infant, had to be rescued from the roof of their car in Atlanta, fire officials said. Two people were killed by the storm in two separate incidents in Laurens County, Georgia, emergency officials told WSB.

In Charlotte, North Carolina, a person was killed and another had life-threatening injuries when a tree fell onto a home, WSOC reported. Two children were in the home at the time but were not injured.

First responders had to perform several water rescues in North Carolina. Northwest Charlotte was under a voluntary evacuation order as flooding hit the city. Even a National Guard truck got stuck in the flooding, WSOC reported.

Prepare before you go to bed

Update 3:02 p.m. ET, Sept. 26: The storm may hit after you would normally go to bed, so you should prepare before it is lights out.

“If somebody’s going to bed at 9 or 10 o’clock tonight, it may seem like it’s not so bad. It’s just a little breezy, maybe 20- to 30-mile-per-hour winds and rain. But by 2 or 3 a.m., those winds are going to be 50 to 60 miles per hour, potentially, and so you need to prepare for that before you go to sleep,” CNN’s Brandon Miller said.

Here are some of the preparations you should make, according to CNN:

• Turn up your phone’s volume for emergency alerts.
• Make sure your phone is charging and near you.
• Have a map of local shelters.
• Get a “go bag” ready.
• Have digital copies of important documents scanned, including your driver’s license.
• Get your generator ready.

Category 3

Update 2:30 p.m. ET, Sept. 26: Hurricane Helene has become a Category 3 storm, the National Hurricane Center announced on Thursday afternoon. It is considered a major hurricane with sustained winds of 120 mph and gusts that are stronger. The hurricane is still getting stronger and will continue to do so as it makes landfall Thursday night in the Florida Big Bend area.

It was located about 170 miles west southwest of Tampa and 205 miles south of Apalachicola, Florida, the NHC said. It was moving at 16 mph in a north northeast direction.

“Preparations should be rushed to completion”

Update 12:56 p.m. ET, Sept. 26: The National Hurricane Center said that Hurricane Helene continues to strengthen and will make landfall this evening, adding that the time is now to make sure that if you’re in the storm’s path you are prepared.

“Preparations should be rushed to competition,” the NHC said on X.

Florida is not the only state that will be impacted by Helene. Georgia, specifically Atlanta, is at a 4 of 4 high risk of flooding, CNN reported. The high risk extends from the Florida Panhandle through the highest populated areas of Georgia into western North Carolina.

Meanwhile, the Flordia west coast has already flooded. The hurricane’s winds made water levels rise about 2 feet in areas such as Fort Meyers Beach. Up to 5 feet of storm surge may flood the area later this evening.

Eye fully developed

Update 9:55 a.m. ET, Sept. 26: Hurricane Helene has developed a fully formed eye as it continues to strengthen, field by the warm water of the Gulf of Mexico, CNN reported.

Tornado watches issued

Update 9:26 a.m. ET, Sept. 26: More than 3.5 million people are under tornado watches in Georgia and South Carolina, CNN reported.

Areas of North Carolina and Florida are under tornado warnings.

The National Weather Service has a dedicated X account that lists all of the current tornado watches and warnings as they are issued.

The NWS said a tornado watch is when a tornado is possible in the area. A tornado warning is when a tornado has been sighted or seen on radar. A tornado emergency is the highest alert and is when a tornado has touched down.

FEMA: “Don’t underestimate this storm”

Update 8:11 a.m. ET, Sept. 26: The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s acting associated administrator Keith Turi had a message for those in the path of Hurricane Helene, “please don’t underestimate the storm,” CNN reported.

“Our real focus today is making sure we get the word out to everybody in the storm’s path that please don’t underestimate the storm. Take it seriously, and particularly if you are in those storm surge areas and you have those evacuation orders, please heed the warnings,” Turi told CNN Thursday morning.

Not only do people in the path of the hurricane need to watch for the storm itself, they also have to be prepared for what comes after.

Turi reminded them to look out for downed power lines, do not walk or drive through flood water, use flashlights, not candles if the power goes out, and if they have a generator do not use it inside, only outdoors.

Scenes before the storm

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Hurricane upgraded to Category 2

Update 7:43 a.m. ET Sept. 26: Hurricane Helene was upgraded to a Category 2 storm Thursday morning, the National Hurricane Center announced.

Hurricane starts to develop clear eye

Update 7:18 a.m. ET Sept. 26: Hurricane Helene which is still a Category 1 was starting to develop a clear eye Thursday morning, CNN reported.

The National Hurricane Center said that it was strengthening and was “expected to bring catastrophic winds and storm surge.” The agency told residents that “preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.”

The storm surge could be as high as 20 feet above ground level, the NHC said. The Associated Press said the surge would be “unsurvivable.” It is expected to hit Florida either Thursday evening or Friday morning as a Category 3 or higher, CNN reported. It is barreling in on the Big Bend region of Florida where the panhandle and peninsula meet, the AP reported.

Tampa airport to shut down before hurricane’s landfall

Update 1:57 p.m. ET Sept. 25: Tampa International Airport will suspend operations Thursday before Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall, The Associated Press reported. All commercial and cargo operations will be halted at 2 a.m. and will remain that way until damage can be assessed.

Hurricane Helene is expected to be the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. in more than a year, CNN reported. It will be the fourth to make landfall in 2024 and the fifth to hit Florida since 2022.

Meanwhile, more than 30 counties in Georgia are under a hurricane warning. Some are about 100 miles north of the Florida-Georgia line. In Florida, at least 24 counties are under evacuation orders - either voluntary or mandatory. Some of the orders depend on what zone people are located in.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper already issued a State of Emergency as the state prepared for any severe weather produced by Hurricane Helene. The declaration is effective through Saturday morning, the AP reported.

Flooding will come with storm: NWS

Update 12:39 p.m. ET Sept. 25: The National Weather Service said that up to 15 inches of rain may fall in the mountains of North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina and bring with it flooding, The Associated Press reported.

The weather service likened the impact to that of 2021′s Tropical Storm Fred which killed six people and damaged nearly 1,000 homes.

Original report: The National Hurricane Center said the storm was “expected to bring life-threatening storm surge” along with strong winds and flooding in not only Florida but also most of the Southeastern U.S.

It neared hurricane strength through the morning on Wednesday as it was just off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, the National Hurricane Center said.

Several counties in Florida were already under evacuation orders before the storm reached hurricane strength, The Associated Press reported.

Gas stations in the Tallahassee area were running out of gas earlier in the week and supermarkets in the region were running out of store staples such as water and other supplies.

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