Hurricane Helene Turns Deadly With No End In Sight

The aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which first made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast, continues to wreak havoc along the southeastern United States. Though the storm has passed, its remnants have traveled up the eastern seaboard, bringing heavy rainfall and dangerous flooding that has extended into Tennessee.

Helene made a powerful impact when it hit Florida late Thursday night, striking just west of Perry as a Category 4 hurricane. The storm set a new record for the strongest to hit Florida’s Big Bend region.

In addition to destructive winds, Helene caused severe storm surges, leading to flash floods that overwhelmed entire communities. One of the hardest-hit areas was Horseshoe Beach, Florida, where nearly every property sustained some level of damage from the rising waters.

The National Hurricane Center had issued warnings ahead of Helene’s landfall, anticipating severe flooding and landslides in the southern Appalachian region. “This rainfall will likely result in catastrophic and potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding, along with significant river flooding. Numerous landslides are expected in steep terrain across the southern Appalachians,” the center’s statement cautioned.

Since then, the devastation has unfolded just as predicted. Social media has been flooded with images and videos capturing the extent of the damage over the weekend.

“Massive debris flow traveling at lightning speed in eastern TN! The preceding drought conditions followed by days of rain ahead of Hurricane Helene set the stage. This is incredibly rapid for a debris flow,” meteorologist Reed Timmer shared in a post.

In North Carolina, flooding has severely impacted infrastructure, leaving several major roads, especially in the western part of the state, completely impassable.

“All roads in and out of Asheville, NC are still closed! It sounds like Asheville is still only accessible by air unless you head up from I26, and even then you will encounter closures before the city. This is an absolute mega disaster for western NC on the order of Hurricane Katrina,” Timmer posted.

Chimney Rock Village, North Carolina, was hit hard by flooding, with major roadways into the town rendered unusable due to debris and water damage. Boone, N.C., also experienced dangerous flooding and debris flows.

In Tennessee, farmland has been inundated by floodwaters as the already saturated ground could not absorb the continuous rain. “Tennessee farmland and the devastation hardworking farmers must face. Pray for the farmers. They work so hard as it is, and many can’t afford flood insurance and virtually none have hurricane insurance,” one social media user posted. “#Helene took their livelihood.”

One particularly striking video from Afton, Tennessee, shows floodwaters sweeping away the Kisner Bridge over the Nolichucky River. Across the state, several major roads have also been closed due to flooding and debris, adding to the challenges faced by residents as they begin to assess the damage left in Helene’s wake.