Hurricane Helene Causes Flooding and 41 Deaths in Kentucky

The remnants of Hurricane Helene have continued to wreak havoc as they pushed inland after making landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane. The storm first struck Florida on Thursday night and has since swept across multiple states, including Tennessee and Kentucky, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. By Friday, the system had become post-tropical, though it continued to bring dangerous weather conditions to the southern and central Appalachians. As of 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that the center of the storm was positioned about 50 miles south-southeast of Louisville, Kentucky, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. Though Helene had weakened, the storm system remained a significant threat due to the torrential rains it brought to already saturated areas.

Helene’s remnants have triggered widespread, “historic and catastrophic” flooding across parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, and the southern Appalachian region. Torrential downpours have drenched large swaths of the central and southern Appalachian Mountains, with rain accumulations expected to reach between 6 and 12 inches in many areas. Some isolated regions may experience as much as 20 inches of rainfall, posing a severe risk of flash flooding and landslides. Flash flood emergencies were declared in several regions, affecting approximately 1.1 million residents across upstate South Carolina, western North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. The heavy rainfall, combined with the mountainous terrain, has caused rivers to rise rapidly, with some rivers expected to overflow as more rain falls in the coming days. According to CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller, the situation is particularly dangerous as additional rainfall will continue to feed into rivers, making flooding even more severe.

In response to the threat of flooding, officials in North Carolina ordered mandatory evacuations in Asheville and McDowell counties. The potential for overflowing rivers and swelling reservoirs forced many residents to seek shelter in safer areas. Additionally, multiple schools in Kentucky and Indiana were closed on Friday due to the dangerous weather conditions, with strong winds and heavy rainfall battering the region. While flooding remains a primary concern, there are also heightened risks of tornadoes associated with Helene’s remnants. The NHC warned that tornadoes could develop across southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina on Friday evening, further compounding the dangers faced by residents in these areas. As the storm system continues to move slowly through the region, it is expected to stall over the Tennessee Valley throughout the weekend, extending the period of hazardous weather and delaying recovery efforts.

Hurricane Helene made landfall near Perry, Florida, at approximately 11:10 p.m. EDT on Thursday, unleashing powerful winds and storm surges. The storm then barreled through Florida and Georgia before moving northward, causing widespread damage across four states. According to reports from The New York Times, at least 41 people have died as a result of the storm, including two firefighters in South Carolina who lost their lives while responding to emergency situations. The storm has caused widespread power outages, leaving millions without electricity across the southeastern United States. As of 6 p.m. EDT on Friday, more than 4 million people were still in the dark, with 2 million in North and South Carolina alone. In Georgia, nearly 900,000 residents were without power, while 676,000 were affected in Florida. Additionally, significant outages were reported in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio.

Kentucky and Tennessee have been hit particularly hard, with more than 300,000 people in each state affected by power outages. In Virginia, 231,000 residents were without power, while West Virginia and Ohio each saw over 300,000 affected by blackouts. One of the most critical concerns in the wake of the storm is the potential failure of the Lake Lure Dam in North Carolina, located about 35 miles southeast of Asheville. Officials have issued dire warnings about the dam’s imminent failure, urging all residents in the surrounding areas to evacuate and seek higher ground immediately. The Rutherford County Emergency Management agency reported “catastrophic” water flow in the area, raising fears that the dam could breach at any moment.

Lake Lure is a small town nestled around the lake that bears its name and is famous for its connection to the 1987 movie “Dirty Dancing,” in which the film’s cast and crew stayed at the local Lake Lure Inn. However, the threat posed by the dam’s potential failure has turned this once peaceful town into a dangerous zone, with officials working frantically to manage the situation. In addition to the havoc on land, Helene’s impact has extended to air travel, causing delays and cancellations at several major airports across the southeastern U.S. Tampa International Airport, which had shut down at 2 a.m. EDT on Thursday in anticipation of the storm, resumed operations by Friday morning. Fortunately, the airport did not sustain any significant damage. Other airports, including Charlotte Douglas International, Greenville–Spartanburg International, and Asheville Regional Airport, were also heavily affected, with hundreds of flights canceled or delayed due to the storm’s lingering effects.

Helene is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which typically runs from June 1 to November 30. Earlier this year, forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had predicted that the 2024 hurricane season could be one of the most active on record, with as many as 25 named storms and 13 hurricanes expected. However, despite the forecasted busy season, activity has been somewhat less intense than anticipated. Helene’s devastating landfall comes just weeks after Hurricane Francine, a Category 2 storm, struck Louisiana in mid-September. With more than two months remaining in the 2024 hurricane season, officials are urging residents in vulnerable areas to remain vigilant and prepared for future storms. As recovery efforts begin in the areas affected by Helene, the storm serves as a sobering reminder of the destructive power of nature and the challenges of predicting and preparing for such devastating events.