September 27th 2024.
On a Thursday evening, the fast-moving Hurricane Helene made its way onto the Big Bend area of Florida's northwestern coast as a Category 4 storm. The forecasters warned of a potentially "catastrophic" storm surge, along with damaging winds, heavy rains, and flash floods that could reach hundreds of miles inland across the southeastern United States.
As the storm approached, two people were reported to have been killed in a possible tornado in southern Georgia, and Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida confirmed that one person had died while driving on Interstate 4 when a sign fell onto their car. The storm also caused power outages, affecting over 1 million homes and businesses in Florida and over 50,000 in Georgia, according to the tracking site poweroutage.us.
States of emergency were declared in several states, including Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Alabama. In the Pacific, former Hurricane John strengthened back into a hurricane on Thursday morning as it threatened Mexico's western coast with flash flooding and mudslides. However, it was later downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved along the coast of Michoacan.
In the meantime, Tropical Storm Isaac formed in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday and was expected to gain strength as it moved away from the US. It could potentially become a hurricane by the end of the week, according to forecasters.
Governor DeSantis expressed his condolences for the loss of life and urged people to remain cautious and take necessary precautions. He also mentioned that more fatalities could occur as the storm continues and that 3,500 National Guardsmen were ready to assist with response efforts.
The hurricane made landfall in northwestern Florida around 11:10 p.m. EDT near Perry, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. The National Hurricane Centre warned of potential storm surges up to 20 feet in Florida's Apalachee Bay, which could be "catastrophic and unsurvivable." The hurricane and flash flood warnings extended beyond the coast, reaching northern Georgia and western North Carolina.
As of 11 p.m. EDT, over 885,000 customers in Florida were without power, according to poweroutage.us. The map showed that many counties in the Big Bend area, where Helene made landfall, had a majority of customers without power.
Meanwhile, John, which initially hit Mexico as a Category 3 hurricane, was downgraded to a tropical storm on Thursday evening as it continued to move slowly along the coast of Michoacan. The US National Hurricane Centre reported sustained wind speeds of 70 mph and warned of severe flash flooding in coastal areas. After making landfall in Acapulco, the storm weakened and reemerged over the ocean, reforming into a tropical storm on Wednesday and strengthening back into a hurricane on Thursday.
However, the hurricane centre predicted that John would weaken on Thursday night and into Friday. The storm had caused significant damage, including blowing off house roofs, triggering mudslides, and toppling trees. Its effects were still being felt as it continued to threaten coastal areas with severe flash flooding.
A powerful and fast-moving storm, Hurricane Helene, has caused widespread concern as it made landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida's northwestern coast on Thursday evening. The storm, classified as a Category 4 hurricane, brought with it the potential for catastrophic storm surges, strong winds, heavy rains, and flash floods across the southeastern United States. The impact of the storm was felt hundreds of miles inland, with Georgia reporting two fatalities possibly caused by a tornado as the storm approached. Tragically, one person lost their life while driving on Interstate 4 in Florida when a sign fell onto their car, according to Governor Ron DeSantis.
This destructive storm has also caused widespread power outages, affecting over 1 million homes and businesses in Florida and over 50,000 in Georgia. The severity of the situation prompted states of emergency to be declared in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Alabama. Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, former Hurricane John regained strength and was upgraded to a hurricane again as it threatened the western coast of Mexico with potential flash flooding and mudslides. However, it has since been downgraded to a tropical storm as it slowly moves along the coast of Michoacan.
As the storm continues to wreak havoc in its path, Tropical Storm Isaac has also formed in the Atlantic Ocean and is expected to strengthen as it moves away from the United States. Forecasters predict that it may become a hurricane by the end of the week. Governor DeSantis expressed his concern for the safety of those in the storm's path, acknowledging the dangerous conditions and potential for more fatalities. He also shared that 3,500 National Guardsmen were on standby to assist with the response efforts.
The devastating impact of Hurricane Helene was felt as it made landfall in northwestern Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. The National Hurricane Centre in Miami warned of catastrophic flooding along the Gulf Coast and urged residents to take necessary precautions. The storm brought with it storm surges of up to 20 feet in some areas, particularly in Florida's Apalachee Bay. As the hurricane warnings and flash flood warnings extended beyond the coast, power outages continued to rise, leaving over 885,000 customers without electricity.
In addition to the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene, former Hurricane John has also been wreaking havoc in Mexico. After initially making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in Acapulco on Monday, the storm weakened inland but reemerged over the ocean and regained strength. It was downgraded to a tropical storm on Thursday evening, with sustained wind speeds of 70 mph. However, it still poses a threat to coastal areas with severe flash flooding. The hurricane centre predicts that the storm will continue to weaken as it moves further inland.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
