No fewer than 37 people have been confirmed dead by the United States’ authorities after Hurricane Helene made landfall and moved inland with high winds and heavy rainfall.
Hurricane Helene is one of the most powerful storms to hit the United States with wind gust speeds of 140 mph (225 km/h).
The storm made landfall in Florida as a category-four hurricane but was downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved more inland.
The death toll was confirmed by North Carolina emergency management officials who urgently warned residents below the Lake Lure dam to evacuate on Friday due to ‘imminent failure’ – but later said the dam was holding.
The dam’s structural supports have been comprimised, and evacuations were underway.
Earlier in the day, the county had posted on Facebook in all caps to warn residents: “RESIDENTS BELOW THE LAKE LURE DAM NEED TO EVACUATE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY!!DAM FAILURE IMMINIENT!! EVACUATE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY!!”
But after that, Department of Environmental Quality spokesperson Kat Russell told The Associated Press That there was no indication Rutherford County’s Lake Lure Dam was was about to fail amid impacts from Tropical Depression Helene.
Hurricane-force wind gusts were still occurring Friday in parts of Georgia and the Carolinas and very heavy rainfall was ongoing for much of the US Southeast, causing historic and life-threatening flooding.
As the sun came up in Florida, the damage was widespread and catastrophic. Storm surge has left some homes underwater to the roofline, and boats were smashed together like bath toys in marinas. Downed trees, powerlines and other debris were making navigating roadways treacherous for emergency responders
Around 4 million people were without power from Florida up the east coast to Virgina.
The hurricane hit the state’s Big Bend region just after 11pm local time on Thursday with 140mph winds and 15ft storm surge.
Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed two fatalities in Florida. A driver was killed when a sign fell onto their car in Tampa. There were five other deaths reported by the Sheriff’s Office in Pinellas County.
A total of 11 people died in Georgia, including two in Wheeler County; they were killed after their trailer crashed on a highway. One person was an emergency responder.
At least 17 deaths were reported in South Carolina.
Two people in Anderson County died when tree fells on houses Friday morning. At least four others died overnight in Aiken County. North Carolina saw two deaths, including a person also killed by a falling tree in Charlotte.
The storm is forecast to weaken, and Helene will become extratropical later Friday afternoon.