COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL)-Today marks the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene making landfall in the Big Bend of Florida. We take this time to remember the lives lost from this storm.
Helene's Formation:
Helene started as a tropical disturbance in the Caribbean Sea on September 20th. As it moved north into the Gulf, warm waters helped to fuel the storm. Hurricane Helene would become a Category 4 hurricane by September 26th. The storm would maintain this intensity until it made landfall in the Big Bend the night of September 26th. Peak winds were measured at 140 mph.
Winds:
As Helene moved across the Southeast on the 27th, eastern Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia saw the worst of the storm's wrath. This storm had a very large wind field, meaning that hurricane/tropical storm force winds could be felt over a larger distance. Winds near 95 mph were reported near Valdosta as the storm passed through. Augusta, Ga, also reported a peak gust of 81 mph. In North Carolina and South Carolina, two areas of 90s mph gusts were observed, and pockets of 100 mph winds were reported in the Blue Ridge Mountains. These winds led to extensive damage in several counties.
Flooding:
The National Weather Service began to discuss the potential for significant flash flooding days before Helene made landfall. Days of heavy rainfall had moved through the southeast before Helene. Some areas would see nearly 8 inches in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The NWS in Greenville, Spartanburg, S.C. issued an "Urgent Message Public Information Statement" and told the public to prepare for "catastrophic flash flooding" and that "vulnerable areas need to prepare for the worst case scenario."
Before Helene had even arrived, river levels in the Appalachians were near flood stage. Throughout the 27th, many began to crest above the major flooding stage. Soon, they would break records set since the Floods of 1916. Some parts of North Carolina would see over 20 inches of rainfall that day.
Impacts:
An estimated 7.4 million customers (about 16.2 million people) lost power in the United States due to Hurricane Helene. Georgia accounted for 1.28 million.
Helene tragically caused 176 direct deaths and 71 indirect deaths. Damaging winds were responsible for 26 fatalities in Georgia (causing 65 in all). In hard-hit North Carolina, freshwater flooding and landslides killed 86 people. Thirty-seven were in Buncombe County alone. Across the Southeast, Helene caused at least 117 injuries, and nearly 3,000 people were rescued from high water.
Recovery: Rebuilding efforts would begin across the south. The community of Asheville saw its power restored throughout October. By October 30 2024, I-26 had reopened in Tennessee after being damaged by the storm. In November, the City of Asheville had its water restored. In September of 2025, part of the Blue Ridge Parkway reopened.
Helene would lead to many agricultural impacts across the South, including in Georgia. Landslides in North Carolina destroyed numerous homes, roads, bridges, and critical infrastructure. To read more about the impacts on Georgia's agriculture, you can read this article: Hurricane Helene: Agriculture impacts in Georgia.
0 comments: