Hurricane Helene killed two people on Friday, September 27, as it passed through the state of Georgia after killing another person in Florida, local authorities announced.
Hélène, currently moving inland, has weakened after hitting the southeast coast of the United States, but remains “extremely dangerous”warned the US National Hurricane Center, which continues to urge residents to remain protected.
“Hurricane Helene is now a Category 1 hurricane”reported, inthe NWS (National Weather Service) in Tallahassee, capital of Florida. Helene should still “Weakening as it continues to move north-northeast. Strong winds will continue to blow in Florida and Georgia into the early morning hours. [vendredi] tomorrow, but it will gradually decrease »added the same source, reporting winds of up to about 140 kilometers per hour.
Hélène made landfall Thursday night in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale of 5.
According to the tracking site PowerOutage.us, about 1.1 million homes and businesses were without power in Florida and more than 90,000 in Georgia. More than 55 million Americans are under a weather alert due to Hurricane Helen, with tornado warnings in northern Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.
The NHC also warned of heavy rain in some locations and life-threatening flooding, as well as numerous landslides in the southern Appalachians. The weather service said the region could be hit hard, with flooding not seen in more than a century. “This will be one of the most important weather events to occur in the western part of the region in modern times”he warned.
“This is a multi-state event with the potential to have significant impacts from Florida to Tennessee”Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told reporters.
A particularly widespread hurricane
Hélène is already causing heavy rainfall and the risk of submersion in the sea is of particular concern to the authorities. In some places along the coast, the rise in water levels could reach six meters, the height of a two-story building. This is a “scenery” that will be accompanied by waves “destructive” capable of sweeping houses and moving cars, warned Mike Brennan, director of the NHC.
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US President Joe Biden has “urged” residents to consider “Called to evacuate” issued by the authorities. Authorities in Taylor County, Florida, asked residents who did not answer calls to leave and to write their names on their bodies using permanent markers to help identify them.
Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina will also feel the effects of the hurricane.
In Florida, a state of emergency has been imposed in almost the entire state. According to the governor, about 3,500 National Guard soldiers have been mobilized and an additional 2,000 are available if necessary. Several airports are closed. Federal funds have been released and personnel are ready to assist with search and rescue operations and power restoration.
The particularity of Hélène is that it is a particularly widespread hurricane. Its actual size “one of the largest hurricanes to hit the Gulf of Mexico this century”noted expert Michael Lowry. Although several hurricanes have already hit the United States this year, including Beryl and Debby, they were less powerful than Helene when they made landfall.
