'Deadly hurricane' Helene hits the US: 'Unsurvivable' floods
Hurricane Helene has reached the northern parts of Florida and begun to impact the region. Experts have warned that Helene could be one of the largest hurricanes ever seen in U.S. history.
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Hurricane Helene has reached Florida's Big Bend region. Destructive storms with speeds exceeding 210 kilometers per hour have begun in the area. The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) announced that Helene could cause deadly floods described as potentially 'unsurvivable.'
The effects of Helene, which made landfall in Florida's Taylor County between Tallahassee and Tampa, were felt hundreds of kilometers away. In Wheeler County, Georgia, it was reported that many homes were damaged and at least two people lost their lives.
U.S. media had described the hurricane as 'deadly.'
The hurricane was classified as a 'Category 4.' In the category system that determines a hurricane's 'strength,' the highest level is 'Category 5.' Helene is the first hurricane of this magnitude seen in the U.S. recently.
The storm surge created by the hurricane caused flooding from the Big Bend to Southwest Florida. The NWS had previously stated that the hurricane could leave residential areas under up to 6 meters of water. Local press claimed that mobile homes in the coastal town of Steinhatchee were submerged.
The impact area of Hurricane Helene. Red zones indicate areas where the storm will be most severe. Source: National Weather Service
POWER OUTAGES HAVE BEGUN
It was also reported that power outages occurred as Hurricane Helene struck Florida.
As the center of the storm moved toward the coast, power outages increased. More than one million people in the Sunshine State were left without electricity.
82 mph winds were recorded in St. Petersburg.
According to an AP News report, 'serious' power outages were also reported in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
Ian Oliver from FOX Weather said that waves 'rapidly' flooded streets around St. Pete Beach on Thursday evening, and that the tide would begin a few hours later.
SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS SUSPENDED
In Sunset Beach, local fire rescue teams reported that they would no longer respond to service calls due to the flooding.
Hundreds of thousands of people living in the region will have to struggle with the storm on their own until the floodwaters recede.
Clearwater Beach witnessed the highest waves seen since the 1993 Superstorm. Wave heights exceeded 2.1 meters.
HURRICANE WILL AFFECT NOT ONLY THE COASTS BUT ALSO INLAND AREAS
The effects of Helene will also be felt in the inland regions of the southern United States.
As the hurricane moves inland after making landfall in the Big Bend, Tallahassee and Georgia are also expected to be affected by the hurricane.
The values recorded so far indicate that, unlike storms previously seen in the U.S., the hurricane could maintain its impact in the country's interior for a long time.