What Hurricane Helene’s 500-mile path of destruction looks like

CNN
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Hurricane Helene devastated the southeastern United States. Its sheer force of wind and deadly flooding left a path of destruction that stretched 500 miles from Florida to the southern Appalachians.

In just 48 hours, large parts of the region became unrecognizable. The storm has claimed at least 130 lives, and officials fear the toll could rise as many people remain missing.

Communities were cut off and stranded as floodwaters washed away hundreds of roads, buildings, homes and vehicles. The communications infrastructure is in ruins. Additionally, millions of people in at least six states have lost power and access to water.

Helene’s devastating path began on Florida’s Gulf Coast and led to Big Bend. At 11:10 p.m. on September 26, it made landfall near the town of Perry as a strong Category 4 hurricane, producing a record-breaking storm surge late into the night.

According to preliminary reports from the National Weather Service, the area experienced rises of up to 15 feet.

In Tampa Bay, the water rose to at least 6 feet and flooded many vehicles and homes.

In Pinellas County, Florida, west of Tampa, rescuers from the South Pasadena Fire Department and the county sheriff’s office waded through rising water in boats looking for trapped residents. In a video, rescuers can be seen floating past a flooded, burning house.

Further north in Cedar Key, the storm’s devastation was so great that city officials warned residents and volunteers Friday not to return to the small coastal community. Many historic buildings and new homes were severely damaged by hurricane-force winds and flooding, while roads were blocked by downed lines and dangerous debris.

Flooding in the Steinhatchee community in Big Bend is not uncommon, but when Helene made landfall, locals say it was the worst flooding they have ever seen. One resident, Jules Carl, told CNN’s John Berman Friday morning that she never had to worry too much about flooding in her home, but Helene came uncomfortably close.

“I have a boat in front of me on the street right now, fishing in our yard,” she said. “(The water) went up our patio steps. It was about to arrive.”

Some homes in Steinhatchee were even swept away by the storm surge. Storm chaser Aaron Rigsby, who rode out the hurricane at a home nearby, told CNN some homes “collapsed into each other” as they were washed away.

The storm quickly moved inland. Daylight revealed the full extent of the destruction: houses razed to the ground; streets flooded; Cars overturned; trees fallen; and power lines fell.

Helene moved into Georgia early Friday morning as a Category 2 hurricane after two days of heavy rain — not directly related to Helene — drenching much of the state. This left the soil unable to absorb additional moisture, making it more vulnerable to Helene’s flooding.

Atlanta recorded its highest 48-hour rainfall totals ever, which quickly led to life-threatening flooding. While Helene was in the region, Augusta experienced some of the heaviest rainfall in the state, totaling 12 to 15 inches – about four months of rain in just two days. Extremely strong winds from the massive storm also devastated large parts of the state.

Rescue workers rescued a woman on a semi-submerged car in the town of Mableton, northwest of Atlanta, shortly after sunrise on Friday. In Atlanta, authorities also rescued a family, including a woman carrying her baby and taking refuge from fast-moving floodwaters on the roof of her car; one of several such rescue operations in the region.

Hundreds of roads remain closed and inaccessible due to fallen trees and scattered debris from demolished buildings.

The storm made its way across the Blue Ridge Mountains and continued to wreak havoc on everything in its path.

Helene weakened into a tropical storm as it moved toward the Carolinas, but its fury showed no sign of abating. It rained heavily in the mountain communities. Hundreds of road closures hampered efforts to rescue residents and prevented the delivery of urgently needed supplies.

In South Carolina, Helene brought strong winds and dropped “astonishing” amounts of rain: up to 12 to 14 inches. Two firefighters died Friday evening in Saluda County, about 43 miles west of Columbia, after a tree fell on their fire truck. Days later, the death toll rose to dozens, mostly from downed trees and power lines.

The city of Asheville in western North Carolina was hit particularly hard. Many residents sought refuge on roofs, but some collapsed in the floods. Houses floated away, roads and bridges collapsed.

Helene turned the beloved city into a chaos of mud, floating debris and overturned vehicles. Officials called it “biblical devastation.”

Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder summed up the situation at a news conference Monday morning: “Don’t come.”

“We know you want to help, but please don’t come here,” she said. “We have no water and no electricity in the entire county, most of the county. The roads are still incredibly dangerous and we simply cannot accommodate people.”

Flooding from Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc in the western North Carolina village of Chimney Rock and the Lake Lure region. Charlotte City Council member Tariq Bokhari, who filmed the destruction, likened the storm to a “blender that just takes out everything that comes its way.” He noted that rebuilding the area will take years.

Further inland, Helene’s landscape-changing effects reached Tennessee. Heavy rains have washed away part of Interstate 40, a major highway connecting North Carolina and Tennessee.

In the town of Afton, Tennessee, Helene washed out the Kinser Bridge on Highway 107, which is normally about 60 feet above the Nolichucky River. The bridge is also about 12 miles northeast of the Nolichucky Dam, which authorities said was also at risk of collapse Saturday.

In nearby Erwin, more than 50 patients and staff at Unicoi County Hospital didn’t have enough time to get to safety. As the tide rose, they desperately sought refuge on the roof, where strong winds made rescue a challenge. Luckily, emergency services got them all to safety by Friday afternoon.

Parts of Virginia were also affected by Helene’s tragedy, with two people killed by the storm-related tree fall and building collapse and hundreds of thousands left without power.

Helene turned into a tropical depression on Friday afternoon. On Saturday the storm had dissipated into remnants. But the true extent of the destruction remains to be seen.