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CBS News has confirmed that at over 80 people are dead in five states after storm Helene made landfall Thursday night in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane with wind of 140mph, causing devastation with torrential rain, wind and flooding over the entire southeast as it moved inland. Helene was the third hurricane to hit the Big Bend region in the last 13 months. While Helene is expected to dissipate Monday, it remains a threat for parts of the Appalachians with heavy rains and flash flooding expected to continue.
As of Sunday over 2.4 million customers remain without electricity across several states, with roads underwater, and other essential services washed away by Helene. Officials told The New York Times that parts of South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia have all been devastated and the death toll will continue to rise. Authorities rushed to airdrop supplies and restore roads after massive rains from the powerful Helene left people stranded and without shelter.
At least 11 people were killed in Florida, nine of whom were confirmed by Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, with other deaths in Florida occurring in Dixie County and in Tampa. In Georgia, 17 are reported dead, with at least two deaths due to a tornado; Gov. Brian Kemp said Saturday that it “looks like a bomb went off” in the area.
In South Carolina, 25 people died from the storm, officials confirmed, while in North Carolina there have been at least 21 storm-related deaths. According to North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, the flooding in the state is “biblical.” All roads in western North Carolina have been closed to all but emergency vehicles.
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