While Helene is weakening, flooding continues to be a major problem

Helene becomes increasingly weaker as he makes his way through the Midwest. By Friday afternoon, it had developed into a post-tropical cyclone with maximum winds of 35 miles per hour.

The center of the system was about 50 miles south-southeast of Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday evening and was moving north-northwest at a speed of about 17 miles per hour.

Helene made landfall late Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane about 10 miles from Perry, Florida. Peak winds of 140 miles per hour prevailed at the time. Hurricane-force winds spread 60 miles from its center, while tropical-storm-force winds spread up to 310 miles from its center.

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As of late Friday afternoon, the storm was still causing “life-threatening flash flooding and urban flooding” in the southern Appalachians.

Neighborhoods in Atlanta are under water after Helene dumped more than a foot of rain in some areas.

“It’s all flooded,” said Anshudhar Siwach of Atlanta. “The banks are flooded.”

Jason Allen/AP

North Carolina was not spared from the violent storm either. It’s about flash floods and landslides.

“This is one of the worst storms in modern history for parts of western North Carolina,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said. “The end of the rain is not the end of the threat.”

Helene should continue to weaken through the end of Friday as rain continues over the Ohio Valley.

According to poweroutage.us, millions of people were still without power in affected states as of Friday evening.

“If you use a generator after the storm, be sure to place it outdoors at least 20 feet from doors, windows and garages to avoid deadly carbon monoxide poisoning,” the National Weather Service said.

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