The death toll from Hurricane Helene has risen to 30, and spread over four states. Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina have been brought to their knees by the Category 4 storm which is moving at an impressive speed north toward Tennessee and Ohio. The National Hurricane Center said it is expected to diminish in power over the weekend, downgrading to a tropical storm. Still, the risk of torrential rains and flash flooding remains high.
Meanwhile, 93 people have already died. Millions of residents have been evacuated after authorities in affected states’ counties declared a state of emergency. Nearly 4.5 million people were without power in Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, where temperatures reached 90F.
Hundreds of rescues have been made. In Tennessee, where the hurricane was heading, dozens of hospital patients took shelter on the roof to be rescued. A dam collapse forced more than seven thousand residents to evacuate their homes.
A landslide blocked Interstate 40 at Old Fort Mountain East in Asheville, and all lanes of Interstate 26 in both directions near Henderson County were closed to traffic. More than 800 flights were canceled across the United States, and it is not known when airports in the southeastern states will resume normal operations.
The 911 calls continue to come in. Overnight, operators in Pinellas County, Florida-one of sixty–one that declared a state of emergency–received more than 7,000 calls for help. The coast overlooking the Gulf of Mexico remains waterlogged, but the situation has abated since last night when Hurricane Helene made landfall.
