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Catastrophic Flooding’ from Helene hits Southeast, 30 Dead

On the latest news from Hurricane Helene tracker: Catastrophic Flooding’ from Helene a.was t least 30 people have died as the storm wreaks havoc across the Southeast following its landfall in Florida, leaving over 4 million without power.

At least 30 people were reported dead across the Southeastern United States after Helene made landfall Thursday night as a Category 4 hurricane. More than 4.6 million customers were without power in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas on Friday.

Now a weakened tropical depression, Helene came ashore in Florida’s Big Bend region, bringing winds up to 140 mph and life-threatening storm surges of 15 feet in some locations.

The National Weather Service called for a mandatory evacuation for all residents near Lake Lure Dam in Rutherford County, N.C., saying it was at risk of “imminent” failure.

Forecasters have said Helene “is expected to turn northwestward and slow down over the Tennessee Valley later today and Saturday.”

Dam near Newport, Tenn., did not fail, state officials say

Despite earlier reports that the Walters Dam in Waterville, N.C., had experienced a “catastrophic failure” Friday afternoon as heavy rains from Helene pounded the area, officials with the state’s Emergency Management Agency said hours later that the dam had not given way.

Evacuations continue to be underway in neighbouring Newport, Tenn, whose downtown remains under several feet of water.

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A record number of Americans now find themselves under flash flood emergencies, the National Weather Service said, many of which extend into Friday evening.

That designation is the highest level of threat, representing what are considered catastrophic flooding levels, that the NWS reports in nationwide warnings. The spate of warnings currently posted spans multiple states, including Tennessee, South Carolina and Virginia.

Hit hard by heavy rain and winds as Helene passed through the state, conditions in North Carolina began looking a bit better as evening approached.

“Conditions continue to improve across central NC with just a few lingering showers/storms moving across the northern Piedmont over the next few hours,” the National Weather Service said in a post to X. “Gusty winds will relax into the evening hours. Creeks, streams, and rivers will run high and fast over the next few days.”

As of 4:30 p.m. local time, however, 884,556 customers were also still without power, according to Poweroutage.us.

More than 50 people rescued after being trapped on Tennessee Hospital roof

More than 50 patients and staff at Unicoi County Hospital in Tennessee were trapped on the roof earlier Friday morning due to intense flooding caused by Helene. Several patients were transferred to other nearby hospitals in the morning before the flooding became too bad.

A local Tennessee news outlet reported at 4 p.m. ET that “nearly two dozen” people had been rescued and shared footage from Virginia State Police. Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty later confirmed on X that “everyone has been rescued safely from the roof.”

All roads accessing the hospital are blocked off during the flooding.

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Helene damage in Florida worse than Hurricanes Idalia and Debby combined, DeSantis says

In an afternoon press conference, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said officials told him “areas that were hit in Idalia and Debby” experienced more damage from Helene than the two other hurricanes combined.

“I think you’re going see buildings that survived those two storms didn’t make this storm,” he said.

Hurricane Idalia hit Florida’s Big Bend in August 2023 with storm surge water levels reaching 7 to 12 feet high along the coast — the highest recorded in the area since 1993, the National Weather Service reported. Idalia resulted in 12 fatalities.

Hurricane Debby made landfall in Florida in early August 2024, causing a significant storm surge along Florida’s Gulf Coast. At least eight people were reported dead as a result of the storm.

Catastrophic Flooding’ from Helene impacts continue to push North.

Since Hurricane Helene made landfall in northwestern Florida on Thursday night, the effects of the major storm have spread across multiple states.

On Friday afternoon, severe thunderstorms.was .,…. and tornado warnings were still being posted in several different states.

High wind warnings also extended to Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.

Catastrophic Flooding’ from Helene seen in Asheville, N.C.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for Asheville, N.C., early Friday, and photos posted to social media in the hours since show extensive flooding there.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation in Asheville posted an image of a flooded roadway underneath the interstate with several flooded-out cars.

“Don’t go out today. It’s not safe,” the department said in a post on X.

Earlier, the NCDOT said all roads in Western North Carolina “should be considered closed.”