Hurricane Helene killed at least 17 people and caused severe flooding across the southeastern U.S. on Friday, leaving millions without power. The storm made landfall near Tallahassee, Florida, before weakening to a tropical storm as it moved north.
The National Hurricane Center warned of “historic and catastrophic flooding,” particularly in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Up to 12 inches of rain was forecast in the Appalachian Mountains, with isolated areas receiving up to 20 inches.
In Perry, Florida, near where Helene hit as a Category 4 hurricane, homes lost power, and a gas station was destroyed. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp confirmed 11 deaths in his state, and Florida’s Pinellas County reported five storm-related fatalities. One person died in North Carolina when a tree fell on a home.
The storm hit amid a series of global weather events, including typhoon Yagi in Asia and flooding in Europe and the Sahel, which some scientists attribute to human-caused climate change.
