Hurricane Helene’s death toll reaches 52, millions left without power

A Georgia mother and her infant twins, at least three firefighters and a 4-year-old child in North Carolina were among the dozens of people killed as Helene ripped across the south, leaving scores of others trapped in flooded buildings and millions more people stranded without power.

As of Saturday morning, 52 deaths had been linked to the monstrous storm system, at least 15 of them in Georgia.

Vernon “Leon” Davis, assistant chief at the Blackshear, Georgia Fire Department, had just finished setting up barricades around a downed power line when he was killed. He was driving away from the site when a tree fell on his pick-up truck around 1:15 a.m., local news reported.

“One of our finest lost his life trying to save others,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said.

More than 100 miles away in Thompson, a 28-year-old mother and her 1-month-old twins died after a tree fell on their home, according to McDuffie County Coroner Paul Johnson. He told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution all three victims were in the same bed when they died.

At least 19 more were dead in South Carolina, including two firefighters in Saluda County, according to state officials.

Deaths were also reported in Florida, Virginia and North Carolina, where a 4-year-old child died in a traffic accident amid “heavy rain conditions” brought by the storm, according to the state Highway Patrol.

“I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by Hurricane Helene across the Southeast,” President Biden said in a statement on Saturday. “The road to recovery will be long, but know that my Administration will be with you every step of the way. We’re not going to walk away. We’re not going to give up.

“Jill and I are praying for those who lost loved ones from Hurricane Helene, and for those whose homes, businesses, and communities were impacted by this terrible storm.”

A rooftop of a Sunoco gas station destoyed by Hurricane Helene after making landfall is seen in Perry, Florida, on September 27, 2024. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
A roof of a gas station destroyed by Hurricane Helene is seen in Perry, Florida, on September 27, 2024. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

Helene blew ashore as a powerful Category 4 hurricane in Florida’s Big Bend region late Thursday night, bringing torrential rain, a dangerous storm surge and wind speeds topping 140 mph. It carved a massive path of destruction through the Sunshine State, where roads were transformed into waterways and buildings both new and historic were ripped apart.

Shortly after landfall, Helene started to lose strength, weakening to a tropical storm as it raced inland toward Georgia. Despite the downgrade, Helene still wreaked havoc there, triggering Atlanta’s  first-ever “flashflood emergency.” Some neighborhoods experienced nearly 12 inches of rain in just 48 hours.

From there, Helene charged toward North and South Carolina, and similarly inundated both states with more rain than they’ve seen in years.

As of Saturday morning, much of western North Carolina was cut off after landslides and flooding forced the closure of Interstate 40 and other roadways.

Destruction to the Faraway Inn Cottages and Motel is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Cedar Key, Fla., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Stephen Smith)
Destruction to the Faraway Inn Cottages and Motel is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Cedar Key, Fla., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Stephen Smith)

The storm on Saturday was designated a post-tropical cyclone with wind speeds of 35 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. That means Helene no longer had an organized center and was losing other hurricane-like features. It was forecast to hover over the Tennessee Valley on Saturday and Sunday.

Hundreds of dramatic rescues, some by boat and others by helicopter have been carried out since Helene’s arrival, including one at a hospital in eastern Tennessee. Some 50 people were lifted from the roof of Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin amid fast-rising waters and high winds Friday.

In Florida, the efforts of 1,500 search-and-rescue personnel have been focused on securing and stabilizing affected communities through the weekend, said Kevin Guthrie, the state’s emergency operations director.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell was also on the ground in Florida on Saturday, surveying the widespread damage.

FEMA said it has so far deployed more than 800 staff to support states hardest hit by the hurricane.

“Our distribution centers are fully stocked and ready to provide commodities and equipment to any impacted state as required,” the agency said.

Jill Rice looks over the damage to her store caused by flooding from Hurricane Helene on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Gulfport, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
Jill Rice looks over the damage to her store caused by flooding from Hurricane Helene on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Gulfport, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

“As those sorts of rescue missions happen today, and continue, please do not go out and visit the impacted areas,” Guthrie said at a Friday news conference in the Florida capital of Tallahassee. “I beg of you, do not get in their way.”

Several flood and flash flood warnings remained in effect in parts of the southern and central Appalachian regions, while high wind warnings also covered parts of Tennessee and Ohio.

With News Wire Services

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