Hurricane Helene: At least 30 dead as US President approves emergency aid | US News

At least 30 people died when Hurricane Helene hit the southeastern United States.

Emergency workers are racing to save people trapped in flooded homes after Helene hit the Florida coast overnight as a highly destructive Category 4 storm.

It unleashed a massive storm surge and resulted in a power outage for millions of customers in Florida and neighboring states.

It occurred with maximum sustained wind speeds of 140 mph (225 km/h) in the rural area of ​​Big Bend, the northwestern part of Florida.

The National Hurricane Center said preliminary information showed water levels reached more than 15 feet above ground level in that region – but damage extended hundreds of miles to the north.

Helene, which has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, is now over North Carolina with maximum sustained wind speeds of 45 miles per hour (72 km/h).

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

GeorgiaFlorida, AlabamaNorth Carolina and South Carolina will receive assistance from more than 1,500 responders, including search and rescue teams, medical support personnel and technical experts.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said dozens of people were still trapped in buildings damaged by the storm.

Several hospitals in south Georgia were without power and one in Tennessee was closed.

Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the damage from Helene to the area appeared to be greater than the total damage from Idalia And Hurricane Debby in August. “It’s demoralizing,” he said.

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

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

Before the hurricane made landfall, officials in Florida pleaded with 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 with a permanent marker so you can be identified and your family notified,” the post on Facebook said.

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

However, there could be heavy rain over the Appalachian Mountains, with the risk of mudslides and flash floods.