The southern United States suffered some of its worst flooding in more than 100 years as the remnants of Hurricane Helene moved through the regionkilling at least 52 people, leaving millions without power, stressing dams and leaving behind potential losses of more than $100 billion.
Busick, North Carolina, recorded 29.59 inches of rain, the current most recorded anywhere, but a larger area in Georgia and South Carolina received between 11 and 14 inches, said Brian Hurley, a senior forecaster with the U.S. Weather Prediction Center branch, in an interview.
The remains of Helene, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm in Florida, were about 135 miles west-southwest of Louisville, Kentuckyearly Saturday morning and were being absorbed into a larger weather pattern.
Hurley said it has been more than 100 years since the region experienced such a severe flood. “In some of these areas, without a doubt, we have to go back more than 100 years, and in others, more than 300 years.”
Little additional rain is forecast, allowing rescuers to save residents and giving rivers, streams and dams a chance to slowly recover from the storm, which made landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida on Thursday night. . However, the rain that fell continues to stress the system, so flood warnings and alerts persist. Kentucky and Tennessee are currently experiencing the worst rainfall.
Helene is the deadliest hurricane to hit the continental United States since Ian hit Florida in 2022killing at least 150 people and causing $122 billion in damage and losses. Across the South, Helene has killed up to 52 people, the Associated Press reported.
From Indiana to Florida, More than 3.8 million customers are without power, with South Carolina accounting for approximately 28%, according to PowerOutage.us.
Besidesthe storm can be one of the most costly. Flooding and destruction caused by Helene may total between $95 billion and $110 billionaccording to calculations by commercial meteorology company AccuWeather Inc., which would easily place it among the five worst hurricanes to ever hit the United States.
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Tennessee on Saturdayafter having done so earlier in the week for South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
Widespread damage has been reported, with water flowing through the streets of many cities and towns, paralyzing transport. Parts of Interstate 40, a major east-west highway, have been washed out.
“All roads in western North Carolina should be considered closed,” the state Department of Transportation said on its website.. “Unless seeking higher ground, motorists should not travel in this area.”
The Lake Lure dam in North Carolina, where scenes from Dirty Dancing were filmed, overflowed and authorities fear it will collapse. Residents living on streets below the dam have been ordered to leave their homes and shelters have been set up nearby, according to the city’s website.
Many other dams in the region are also under pressure. Authorities in East Tennessee ordered evacuations near the Nolichucky Dam, which was at risk of breaking early Saturday morning. Water levels finally peaked, eight feet above the record high, and have begun to recede, said Elisabeth Thompson, a senior strategic consultant for the Tennessee Valley Authority.
“The Nolichucky Dam is intact,” said Thompson, “so there were no failures, and our dam safety teams are discussing next steps.”
Flash Flood Watches and Warnings Still Widespread Across the South as rivers rise due to recent extreme rainfall.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Joyce and Hurricane Isaac are moving in the central Atlantic and currently pose no threat to land. There are two more storms that could form next week, one near Cape Verde, off Africa, and another in the western Caribbean, near where Helene originated.
