US

Hurricane Helene kills at least 30 – as dozens trapped on roof of flooded Tennessee hospital

Hurricane Helene kills at least 30 - as dozens trapped on roof of flooded Tennessee hospital

At least 30 people have been killed as Hurricane Helene barrelled its way across southeastern US.

Emergency crews are racing to rescue people trapped in flooded homes after Helene struck the coast of Florida as a highly destructive Category 4 storm.

It generated a massive storm surge, wreaking a trail of destruction extending hundreds of miles north.

Millions are without power in Florida and neighbouring states.

Meanwhile, dozens of people are trapped on the roof of a flooded Tennessee hospital.

Emergency teams are engaged in a “dangerous rescue operation” after the hospital became engulfed in “extremely dangerous and rapidly moving water”, according to Tennessee’s Ballad Health.

It said 54 people were relocated to the roof of the Unicoi County Hospital, while seven were in rescue boats.

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“The situation at the hospital is very dangerous and TEMA [The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency] and National Guard resources are engaged in what can only be described as a dangerous rescue operation,” Ballad Health added.

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Steinhatchee in the Big Bend area of Florida. Pic: Reuters

An vehicle, golf cart and playhouse are submerged from flooding Friday, Sept 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)
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Flooding has severely damaged property in Atlanta. Pic: AP

Helene, which has now been downgraded to a tropical depression, is now over North Carolina with maximum sustained winds of 45mph (72kph).

It struck overnight with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph) in the rural Big Bend area, the northwestern part of Florida.

The National Hurricane Center said preliminary information shows water levels reached more than 15ft above ground in that region.

US President Joe Biden has approved emergency declaration requests from the governors of several southern states affected by Helene.

Georgia, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina are being supported by emergency response personnel including search and rescue teams, medical support staff and engineering experts.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has said dozens of people are still trapped in buildings damaged by the storm, with multiple hospitals in southern Georgia without power.

Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the damage from Helene in the area appears to be greater than the combined damage of Idalia and Hurricane Debby in August. “It’s demoralizing,” he said.

Halle Brooks kayaks down a street flooded by Hurricane Helene in the Shore Acres neighborhood Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
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Getting around by kayak is easier than car in St Petersburg, Florida. Pic: AP

This photo provided by Venice Police Department rescue crews assist residents after  conducting door-to-door wellness checks, in coastal areas that were flooded by Hurricane Helene on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 in Venice, Fla . (Venice Police Department via AP)
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Rescue teams in Venice, Florida. Pic: Venice Police Department

Many stranded in places like Tampa could only be reached by boat, with officials warning the water could contain live wires, sewage, sharp objects and other debris.

ore than four million properties are without power across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas according to the logging website, PowerOutage.

Why this hurricane season is defying forecasts



Tom Clarke

Science and technology editor

@t0mclark3

Despite Helene’s power, this hurricane season has been more remarkable for its lack of activity.

At the start of the hurricane season, which runs from June 1st to November 30th, sea surface temperatures were (and remain) off-the-charts warm.

It’s this ocean heat that fuels tropical storms.

This combined with a developing La Nina phenomenon led the US forecasters to predict 2024 would be a major hurricane season. Between 17 and 24 storms were expected, with 8 to 13 developing into hurricanes.

Hurricane Beryl grazed the coast of Jamaica in July as a Category 5 hurricane. It was the earliest storm of that size ever recorded and was seen as a harbinger of the prediction. But, so far at least, it’s failed to materialise.

There have been just 6 hurricanes so far this year – slightly below average. But why?

It seems to be due to what’s happening on the other side of the Atlantic where ocean warming forced the African monsoon further north than usual.

This led to catastrophic flooding in central and west Africa displacing millions, but it also shifted the weather system that usually spawns hurricanes and spins them across the Atlantic.

There’s already abundant evidence our warming oceans and atmosphere are making storms more intense – but predicting where they will occur and how often is never simple – and perhaps getting even harder as our planet gets hotter.

Prior to the hurricane making landfall, officials in Florida begged residents to evacuate. The sheriff’s office in rural Taylor County issued a chilling warning to those who refused to leave.

“Please write your name, birthday, and important information on your arm or leg in a permanent marker so that you can be identified and family notified,” the post on Facebook said.

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Deputies and firefighters have been rescuing residents as Hurricane Helene hit Florida.

Forecasters now expect the storm to continue weakening as it moves into Tennessee and Kentucky.

But it could drop heavy rain over the Appalachian Mountains, with the risk of mudslides and flash flooding.