Hurricane Helene latest: 600 people unaccounted for as Trump criticizes Biden’s response during Georgia visit
‘It looks like a bomb went off,’ Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said of his state, as deaths have now been reported in North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Tennesse
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Donald Trump visited storm-ravaged Georgia Monday afternoon to survey recovery efforts as more than 600 people remain missing in a single North Carolina county after Hurricane Helene’s path of destruction.
At least 118 people have been killed after the hurricane slammed into Florida last Thursday then tore a path north, bringing catastrophic flooding and powerful winds.
Deaths have also been reported in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee.
In Buncombe County, North Carolina at least 35 have died and fears are growing for around 600 people reported missing. Landslides have devastated the southern Appalachia region.
President Joe Biden said he would visit impacted communities at a later date, so as not to disrupt response to the storm.Millions have been left without power, communications cut off and hundreds of roads closed due to damage.
Officials have warned of the challenges of getting crucial supplies such as water to those in need.
This comes as Tropical Storm Kirk is likely to become a hurricane on Tuesday.
Supplies are rushed to North Carolina communities left isolated after Helene
TV reporter interrupts live broadcast to rescue trapped woman during Hurricane Helene
Head of FEMA says ‘historic’ destruction caused by Helene is linked to climate crisis
Hurricane Hunters fly into Category 4 Hurricane Helene for important reason
How Helene became the near-perfect storm to bring widespread destruction across the South
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp will give update on Helene response
Several bridges ‘completely gone’ near Tennessee-North Carolina border
Five bridges near the Tennessee-North Carolina border are “completely gone,” the Tennessee Department of Transportation announced.
On Sunday, TDOT Deputy Commissioner Will Reid detailed the extent of infrastructure damage in the wake of Hurricane Helene, including a collapsed portion of Interstate 40 near the Tennessee-North Carolina border.
More than 100 bridges have been assessed over the past few days, with dozens more still to be checked.
TDOT wants to begin awarding repair contracts as early as Sept. 30, Reid said. Some bridges will need replacing in their entirety.
North Carolina governor warns danger from flooding, rivers is likely not over
North Carolina governor Roy Cooper told CNN Monday morning that response to Helene was “unprecedented,” but that the danger was not over.
Speaking from Raleigh, the governor said more supplies would be airlifted into Asheville and areas that are currently inaccessible by land, with rivers still rising and flooding likely not over.
Cooper said he and FEMA Director Deanne Criswell plan to speak with President Biden over Starlink internet, and hit at a “concerning” lack of communication.
“The emotional and physical toll here is indescribable,” he said.
More than 2M customers remain without power in Southeast states
More than two million customers remained without power Monday in southeastern states.
South Carolina had the highest number of reported outages, at 764,903.
Watch: FEMA response to Hurricane Helene in Georgia
Tampa bracing for hot, humid conditions after Helene’s impact
The high temperature in Tampa on Monday is expected to be a hot and humid 93 degrees before days of rain are forecast to hit the city.
Pinellas County said Monday that it had opened cooling stations for people to beat the heat and charge their phones.
Each center, opened at libraries, a tennis complex, recreation centers, and a church, has varying hours.
Hurricane Kirk is expected to form by the end of the week
Tropical Depression Twelve is expected to become a major hurricane by the end of the week, according to the National Hurricane Center.
When the storm forms, it will be named Kirk.
DeSantis launches Operation Blue Ridge to support NC and Tennessee
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced Operation Blue Ridge: a multi-state agency response to assist North Carolina and Tennessee in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
The state’s Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), State Guard, National Guard, Department of Transportation, Fish and Wildlife Commission, Law Enforcement Coordination Task Force, and a Law Enforcement Strike Team are the among those involved in the response, according to a FDEM news release on Sunday.
Dozens of specialist teams and pieces of equipment will be deployed from Florida’s agencies.
Estimate of economic loss from Helene is between $145-$160B
An estimate of the total damage and economic loss from Hurricane Helene totals between $145 and $160 billion, according to weather forecasting company AccuWeather.
Last week, that estimate only reached as high as $110 billion, while significant impacts from the storm were still underway.
Helene is expected to be one of the costliest storms in US history.
ICYMI: Head of FEMA says ‘historic’ destruction caused by Helene is linked to climate crisis
The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has said that the severe flooding and subsequent devastation caused by Hurricane Helene is linked to the climate emergency.
Deanne Criswell said that rising temperatures in the Gulf were causing conditions that caused “significant infrastructure damage” that had affected a multi-state area.
Read more:
Head of FEMA says ‘historic’ destruction caused by Helene is linked to climate crisis
Deanne Criswell said that rising temperatures in the Gulf were causing conditions that caused ‘significant infrastructure damage’ that had affected a multi-state area
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