Tropical Storm Helene Lashes the South, Leaves Millions Without Power; 44 Dead Across the South
By Breitbart. Authorities rescued people trapped by floodwaters and more than 3 million customers were in the dark across much of the southeastern U.S. as Hurricane Helene weakened to a tropical storm over Georgia early Friday after making landfall overnight in northwestern Florida as a Category 4 storm.
Helene came ashore amid warnings from the National Hurricane Center that the enormous system could create a “nightmare” storm surge. . .
Video on social media sites showed sheets of rain coming down in Perry, Florida, near where Helene made landfall, and siding being torn off buildings. One local news station showed a home that had flipped over. The community and much of surrounding Taylor County were without power. . .
With maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph) , Helene continued to weaken while moving farther inland over Georgia. The storm was about 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of Macon and about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast of Atlanta, moving north at 30 mph (48 kph) at 5 a.m., the hurricane center in Miami reported.
“We expect it to weaken further. It’s going to turn northward and turn northwestward and eventually move into Tennessee and Kentucky, and merge with a funnel system up in that area,” said Jack Beven, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center. (Read more from “Tropical Storm Helene Lashes the South, Leaves Millions Without Power” HERE)
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Hurricane Helene Updates: 44 Dead Across the South
By ABC News. Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region Thursday night as a massive Category 4 hurricane — the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the Big Bend on record.
Helene has since weakened and is now post-tropical, but its remnants will continue to produce dangerous weather. The center of the storm is now over Kentucky with heavy rain and gusty winds across a large area from Missouri to Ohio to the Carolinas.
At least 44 people have died from Hurricane Helene.
In Georgia, 15 people were killed, including a first responder who was trying to save others, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said.
In McDuffie County, just west of Augusta, a mother and her twin infants were among the victims, officials said. (Read more from “Hurricane Helene Updates: 44 Dead Across the South” HERE)
