Hurricane Helen struck the southeastern United States on Friday, killing at least 43 people and leaving millions without power.
It was the strongest storm on record to hit Florida’s Big Bend and moved north into Georgia and the Carolinas after making landfall Thursday night.
Although conditions in Helen have weakened significantly, forecasters warned that the threat of high winds, flooding and tornadoes would continue.
Roads and houses were flooded on Friday, and one family described to BBC News how they had to swim from their home to safety. Insurance companies and financial institutions say damage from the storm could run into billions of dollars.
Helen, a Category 4 storm, made landfall on the coast Thursday night and remained a hurricane for six hours after making landfall, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said storm surge – rising water levels caused primarily by strong winds blowing toward the coast – reached heights of more than 15 feet (4.5 meters) above the ground in some areas of the Florida coast.
The NHC said the surge would subside on Friday but the threat from strong winds and flooding, including the potential for landslides, would remain.
Up to 50cm of rain is still possible in some areas.
The hurricane is the 14th most powerful hurricane to hit the United States since records began. This hurricane, which is about 400 miles (675 kilometers) wide, is behind 2017’s Ida and 1996’s Opal (both 460 miles wide).
Because of its sheer size, the effects of high winds and heavy rain were widespread throughout Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas.
Florida County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said at least eight people have died in Florida since Friday, including at least five in Pinellas County.
Pinellas County includes the city of St. Petersburg on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said one person was killed when a road sign fell on a car and another person was killed when a tree fell on their home.
ReutersTwo people were also killed in Wheeler County, Georgia, when a mobile home overturned in a suspected tornado, authorities said.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said at least 15 people have died in the state, including one emergency responder. Kemp ordered 1,000 National Guard troops to assist in rescue efforts.
Georgia’s governor said more than 150 roads were closed, 1,300 traffic lights were out across the state and people were still trapped in buildings.
At least 17 people have died in South Carolina, according to the BBC’s US partner CBS News. Gov. Roy Cooper said the storm killed at least two people in neighboring North Carolina, one in a car crash and another when a tree fell on a home in Charlotte.
And Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said at a news conference Friday that one person has died.
Across the South East, emergency services are carrying out daring rescue efforts, using helicopters, boats and large vehicles to help people stranded in flooded homes. More than 100 people have been rescued in North Carolina, Cooper said.
The National Weather Service confirmed two tornadoes in North Carolina. One damaged about 11 buildings and injured 15 people. The Korea Meteorological Administration said four people were taken to hospital in ‘serious’ condition.
In Tennessee, 58 patients and staff were stranded on the roof of a hospital in Irwin on Friday. The rapid currents of the Nolichucky River made it impossible for boats to carry out the rescue, and high winds made helicopter rescues impossible.
The group was later transported to safety after helicopters from the Tennessee National Guard and Virginia State Police intervened.
More than 3 million homes and businesses were without power across the region as of late Friday, according to the tracking site poweroutage.us.
In Pasco County, north of Tampa on Florida’s Gulf Coast, 65 people were rescued, and in Lee County, south, many roads were impassable.
Additionally, hotel guests were evacuated from the Ramada Inn in Manatee County as water flooded hotels along the Florida coast.
And in Suwanee County to the north, authorities reported “extreme destruction,” including trees falling on homes.
NHC Director Michael Brennan said destructive winds were expected to continue to batter Georgia and the Carolinas throughout Friday, especially in the higher elevations of the southern Appalachians.
President Joe Biden spoke at the White House on Thursday evening, urging residents to “listen to local officials and follow evacuation warnings.”
The Taylor County Sheriff’s Department said people who refuse to evacuate should have their names and dates of birth written on their arms in permanent ink “so we can verify their identity and notify their families.”
getty imagesBriana Gagnier told the BBC how she and her family saw water seeping into their home in Holmes Beach, Florida, and started moving their belongings onto tables and beds before hearing loud noises.
“Me and my family all looked at each other,” she said. “But then the water just started pouring.”
Mr. Garnier said he and his family swam out of the house, grabbing their pets, wallet and portable charger. The water rose up to my shoulders.
“We also encourage all communities to continue to listen to their local officials,” FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik Hooks said Friday.
“Just because a storm has passed where you are doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe to leave your home.”
Officials also reminded residents that the storm’s effects “are not over yet” and urged residents to remain vigilant.
To fuel a hurricane, sea surface temperatures must be above 27C (80F).
The bay’s water temperature is unusually warm, at 30-32°C, with sea levels about 2 degrees Celsius above normal throughout the year.
Florida’s 220-mile-long Big Bend coast is where Hurricane Idalia made landfall in 2023. The area also suffered damage from Hurricane Debbie last month.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned earlier this year that up to 25 storms could occur by 2024.
Between eight and 13 of these storms could develop into hurricanes, and a few, including Helen, may already have developed into hurricanes.
Officials warned that more storms could arrive by Nov. 30, when hurricane season officially ends.
