Helene left at least 55 people dead in five states, leveled communities, knocked out power and trapped floodwaters across the Southeast after making historic landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region on Thursday night. I am taking out my anger. Here’s the latest:
Dam break no longer a threat
The National Weather Service in Morristown, Tennessee, has extended a flood warning for towns and cities below the Nolichkee Dam on the Nolichkee River until 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, as dam operators reported “high water flow” over the dam. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency made the announcement at an afternoon news conference. TEMA Chief of Staff Alex Pellum said the agency worked with the Tennessee Valley Authority to confirm that Nolichki is no longer in that state and that we have no reports of dam failures at this time.
Deaths in 5 states
More than 50 people were killed by the storm in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. At least 19 people have died in South Carolina, including two Saluda County firefighters, according to state officials. In Georgia, at least 17 people have been killed, including two in the Alamo, according to a spokesman for Gov. Brian Kemp. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis raised the confirmed death toll to 11 on Saturday morning, including several who drowned in Pinellas County. Six more deaths were reported in North Carolina, including a car wreck on a stormy road that killed a 4-year-old girl. And in Craig County, Virginia, one person died after a storm-related downed tree and building collapsed, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Friday.
FEMA chief sees Florida damage
Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Dan Criswell is on the ground in Florida on Saturday, surveying the damage and assessing the need for federal resources. FEMA says it has more than 800 staff deployed to assist states affected by the hurricane. “Our distribution centers are fully stocked and ready to deliver supplies and equipment to any affected state as needed,” FEMA said in a release. Those involved include the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Salvation Army, the release said. The American Red Cross said at least 1,900 people were in about 80 shelters after evacuation orders were lifted.
Hundreds of roads closed
More than 400 roads are closed in western North Carolina, the state Department of Transportation said Saturday morning. “All roads in western NC should be considered closed,” his post on X reads. Several sections of Interstates 40 and 26, major routes into and out of Asheville, remained closed Saturday due to either flooding or landslides, according to the state Department of Transportation. Since Thursday, Buncombe County has received more than 5,500 911 calls and more than 130 swiftwater rescues. Officials warned residents to stay away from water because of downed power lines, sewage contamination and debris. An emergency shelter is currently serving 400 people at the WNC Agricultural Center near Asheville Regional Airport.
More rain predicted
Additional rain is expected in parts of the southern Appalachian region this weekend. Additional totals of up to 1 inch are expected for areas of western North Carolina, including Asheville, and eastern Tennessee, including Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Up to 2 inches is possible by Monday for parts of Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. “Although rainfall amounts will be light, areas that received excessive rainfall from Helene may see isolated intrusions of very high flows,” the National Weather Service office in Greenville-Spartanburg said Saturday morning.
Water conservation urged
Residents of the Greenville, Tennessee, area are being urged to conserve water as much as possible after heavy rains caused flooding along the Nolichkee River, causing all water lines in the Chuckie Utility District to cross the river. The utility district said water lines are expected to be repaired “as soon as conditions are safe for everyone.” The North Carolina State Emergency Operations Center is sending drinking water to Asheville, as a boil water advisory remains in place for customers with water, the city said.
The storm rescue mission is in progress
About 4,000 National Guardsmen are conducting rescue efforts in 21 Florida counties, the Department of Defense said Friday. North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama have also activated guards. Vice President Kamala Harris said Friday that the Biden administration has also mobilized more than 1,500 federal personnel to help communities affected by Hurricane Helen.
Over 3 million without electricity
According to PowerOutage.us, the remnants of Helene continued to knock out power to several states in the eastern U.S. Saturday morning, leaving about 3.3 million customers in the dark in South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida and Ohio.
