Recovery efforts are underway across the Southeast after Hurricane Helene, a devastating Category 4 storm, caused severe flooding, left at least 45 dead, and knocked out power to millions.
With 140 mph winds at landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region, the storm triggered a massive storm surge, especially along Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Nearly 500,000 residents are still without power as of Saturday morning, while over 3 million are affected across 10 states. Flooding and property damage remain widespread, hindering recovery efforts across the region.
As Hurricane Helene made landfall in Perry, Florida, with wind gusts reaching 99 mph, it swept through Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, leaving widespread destruction.
In East Tennessee, a catastrophic flood threat is emerging along the Nolichucky River as the remnants of the storm unleashed torrential rains.
The river is nearing a critical emergency, and the National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Emergency, warning that the Nolichucky Dam in Greeneville is on the verge of collapse, posing a serious risk to downstream communities.
