Death toll rises to 33 in US from Hurricane Helene

New York: Hurricane Helene has led to the death of 33 people in the US though it has weakened to a tropical storm after landfall, swamped neighborhoods and left more than four million homes and businesses without power.

The death toll has reached at least 35 across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, including the death of at least 17 people in South Carolina, according to a report by The Associated Press on Friday.

Hurricane Helene hit Florida’s Big Bend region as a powerful Category 4 hurricane on Thursday at 11:10 p.m. and left a chaotic landscape of overturned boats in harbors, felled trees, submerged cars and flooded streets, Xinhua news agency reported.

But its impact carried far beyond into the states of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Once expected to reach eight feet of rainfall, Florida’s Big Bend area received more than 15 feet.

Nearly four million people have had their power lines cut due to the storm and are without power, according to PowerOutage.US., which tracks and records power outages across the country. There is no news on when the outages will be restored.

In Georgia, around 115 buildings have been made structurally unsound, as officials rush to rescue those trapped inside. It has been reported that 50 Tennessee citizens are stuck on the roof of Unicoi County Hospital due to rising floodwaters. In North Carolina, 290 roads have been closed due to severe flooding and landslides. The state received close to 30 inches of rain due to the hurricane.

At present, efforts are underway to free people trapped in buildings and areas inaccessible by foot. State patrols are sending out boats and choppers as part of their water rescue teams. The National Guard has deployed teams to Florida to help with any requests for assistance.

US President Joe Biden has approved emergency declarations in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama prior to the landfall of Hurricane Helene.

IANS