Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across the southeastern United States on Friday, leaving at least 33 people dead as it unleashed life-threatening flooding. The storm swamped neighborhoods, triggered mudslides, threatened dams, and left more than 4 million homes and businesses without power.
In Tennessee, officials ordered the evacuation of downtown Newport amid fears that a nearby dam could fail. Similarly, in North Carolina, another dam was on the brink of collapse, prompting urgent warnings and evacuations.
Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region late Thursday night at 11:10 p.m. ET as a powerful Category 4 hurricane with winds reaching 225 kph. The storm carved a destructive path northward through Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas, leaving a trail of overturned boats, felled trees, submerged cars, and flooded streets.
By early Friday afternoon, Helene had weakened to a tropical depression with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph, according to the National Hurricane Center. However, the storm continued to dump heavy rains, causing catastrophic flooding in many areas. Police and firefighters conducted thousands of water rescues throughout the affected states.
In Unicoi County, Tennessee, more than 50 people were stranded on the roof of a hospital around midday on Friday, roughly 190 kilometers northeast of Knoxville. Floodwaters had inundated the rural community, but state officials later confirmed that all those trapped were safely rescued.
Rising waters from the Nolichucky River hindered ambulances and emergency vehicles from evacuating patients and others, according to the Unicoi County Emergency Management Agency. Emergency crews utilized boats and helicopters to carry out rescues.
Elsewhere in Tennessee, Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis announced on social media that the Walters Dam “has suffered a catastrophic failure,” leading to the evacuation of Newport’s downtown area, home to 36,000 people. However, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency later clarified that the Walters Dam, located just across the state line in North Carolina, had not failed. The agency stated that this information came from Duke Energy, which operates the dam.
“We are aware of the situation and we’re sorting out the facts,” said Madison McDonald, a spokesperson for Duke Energy.
In western North Carolina, emergency officials in Rutherford County warned residents near the Lake Lure Dam to immediately evacuate to higher ground, stating, “Dam failure imminent.”
Meanwhile, in Buncombe County, landslides forced the closure of Interstates 40 and 26, further complicating rescue and relief efforts.
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At least 33 dead as Helene cuts path through southeastern U.S.
cgtn.com
