Topline
Hurricane Helen made landfall as a Category 4 storm in Florida’s Big Bend late Thursday, knocking out power to more than two million homes and businesses and leaving at least six people dead. Casualties Florida and Georgia headed toward North Carolina and the Tennessee Valley on Friday.
A boat washed ashore in the storm surge of Hurricane Helen on Sept. 26, 2024 affecting Gulfport, Florida.
Key facts
The center of Helen, downgraded to a tropical storm since making landfall, was located about 30 miles northeast of Athens, Georgia, as of 7 a.m. EDT Friday. National Hurricane Center Wind gusts reached 60 mph.
Helen is expected to bring “damaging winds and life-threatening flooding” to the southeastern and southern Appalachian Mountains, with rainfall totals of up to 20 inches in isolated areas.
Hurricanes are possible Friday through parts of eastern Georgia, the Carolinas and southern Virginia, and tropical storm conditions are expected to persist along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina.
Compulsory Discharges Rivers and reservoirs in Asheville and McDowell counties in North Carolina are expected to overflow with heavy rainfall and several schools in Kentucky and Indiana. Closed Friday Wind and heavy rain lashed the area.
A storm surge warning is in effect for areas including Tampa Bay, Florida, and the Indian Pass to Apalachicola Panhandle.
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Hurricane Helen first made landfall at 11:10 PM EDT near Perry, Florida’s Big Bend region. The storm has so far moved through Florida and Georgia, killing at least six people. ABC News reported. Leasing has killed one in Florida, one in North Carolina and four in Georgia. Millions are without electricity. A flash flood emergency has been issued in Atlanta, where social media video has shown dramatically recovers.
What is a storm surge?
A storm surge is an “abnormal surge of water caused by a storm” that exceeds normal tides. National Weather Service. Waves are caused by strong sea winds from tropical storms or cyclones, and storm surge from tropical cyclones is a major cause of hurricane-related deaths. National Hurricane Center He said.
Does it affect Helen Airlines?
Tampa International Airport Closed EDT to the public at 2 a.m. Thursday in anticipation of Hurricane Helene and “plans to resume services on Friday when it is safe.”
Tangent
Helen is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, coming just weeks after France made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 2 on September 11. Forecasters predict the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s busiest hurricane season (June 1 to Nov. 30) this year — 25 named storms and 13 hurricanes — but the season hasn’t played out as predicted so far.
Further reading
