States in the southeastern U.S. began cleanup and recovery efforts on Sunday after winds, rain and storm surge from Hurricane Helene knocked out power to millions, damaged 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 tally of state and local officials. Officials fear many more bodies will be found.
Damage estimates range from $15 billion to more than $100 billion, insurance companies and forecasters said over the weekend. Property damage and lost economic output will become clearer as officials assess the damage.
In this aerial view, boats are stacked in front of a house after Hurricane Helene hit the area as it passed offshore 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 storm surge 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 fatalities, with fallen trees contributing to the majority.
“It’s a devastating blow, but we’re getting through 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 rose to 11, Governor Roy Cooper said. All roads in the western part of the country should be considered closed and will take months to repair, he said. Food and water were brought to the area.
In Flat Rock, North Carolina, there was a widespread blackout, and people waited in line for hours for gas.
“Grocery stores are closed, cell phone service is gone,” said Chip Frank, 62, as he entered the third hour line. “Everything depends on this gas station. You’re not going to get anywhere, and it’s just a scary feeling.”
The storm has damaged water systems, communications and critical transportation routes in the region, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Army Corps of Engineers will begin assessing the damage to the water system on Sunday to help bring it back online, FEMA said.
About 2.7 million customers were without power on Sunday, US Energy Department officials said, down 40% from Friday after unprecedented storms, fierce winds and dangerous conditions stretched hundreds of miles inland.
A drone view shows the flooded and damaged area after Hurricane Helene in Steinhatchee, Florida, USA, September 27, 2024.
Marco Bello Reuters
Florida’s Gulf Coast hit
Days of rain piled up after Helene slammed into Florida’s Gulf Coast on Thursday night, destroying decades-old homes.
Eleven people died in Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis said in the Gulf Coast city of Perry, which saw 15-foot (4.5-meter) storm surge, greater than seen in other hurricanes in the new year.
At Horseshoe Beach, on Florida’s Gulf Coast about 70 miles (120 km) west of Gainesville, Charlene Huggins surveyed the debris of her blown-out home, pulling a jacket out of the wreckage on Saturday.
“Five generations have lived in this house, from my grandmother, my father, me, my daughter, my son and my grandson,” Huggins said, holding up a glass cake stand. “So there are so many memories here. It just breaks your heart.”
David Hester inspects the damage to his home after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, on September 28, 2024.
Chandan Khanna | Afp | Getty Images
Not far away, James Ellenburg stood on the property where his own family had lived for four generations. “I took the first step in this yard.”
The roof of one house lay flat on the dirt, the wall blown away.
Off the coast of Steinhatchee, storm surges — walls of sea water driven by the wind — of eight to 10 feet (2.4 to 3 meters) moved mobile homes, the weather service said.
In the small community of Spring Warrior Fish Camp, people were surveying the damage Saturday and still waiting for an emergency or first aid.
“No one thinks about us here,” said David Hall, as he and his wife dug up the sea and dead fish in the office of the hotel they own. Many community houses were built on stilts due to local regulations and survived severe damage.
Kristin Macqueen helps friends clean up after her home was destroyed in nearby Keaton Beach. “It’s a complete devastation. The house has just torn off the slabs,” she said.
Some of the worst rain was in western North Carolina, where nearly 30 inches (76 cm) fell on Mount Mitchell in Yancey County, the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center reported.
In this aerial view, crews work on the lines after Hurricane Helene passed offshore on September 27, 2024 in Crystal River, Florida.
Joe Raedle Getty Images News | Getty Images
Water washed over Lake Lure Dam in Rutherford County, and people in and around Chimney Rock described the village’s downtown being washed out. Images show accumulated mud and sediment, downed trees and broken telephone poles, and buildings reduced to rubble.
Just to the south in east Tennessee, Greene County officials are worried that the Nolichucky Dam is on the brink of failure, but the Tennessee Valley Authority recently reported that it is stable and safe.
Seventeen people, including children, were killed in Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp said after viewing the damage in Valdosta.
“It’s tragic,” US President Joe Biden told reporters on Sunday, a day after declaring a major disaster in Florida. “You saw the photo. It was stunning.”
