Hurricane Helene is rapidly strengthening in the Caribbean, moving north along the coast of Mexico towards the US, forcing residents to evacuate, schools to close and authorities to declare emergencies in Florida and Georgia, US media reported.
Authorities in the Big Bend region said the hurricane has caused at least one death in Florida so far, as the Category 4 storm hit the state around 11:10 p.m. last night.
Even before its arrival, the hurricane caused power outages for more than a million customers and severe flooding in several areas.
Officials feared more casualties would be discovered on Friday as the storm strengthened to 140 miles per hour. Helene is expected to cause storm surges that could drop 20 feet of seawater on land and bring more rainfall.
Several counties on Florida’s west and northwest coasts issued evacuation orders and officials advised locals to stock up on food, water and fuel. More than 40 million people in Florida, Georgia and Alabama were under hurricane and tropical storm warnings Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
In North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina, emergency officials warned of potentially catastrophic flooding due to heavy rains. The National Weather Service predicts that up to 38 centimetres of rain could fall over the next three days. The results could be similar to the aftermath of Tropical Storm Fred in 2021, when heavy rain combined with tropical downpours to cause flooding that killed six people and damaged about 1,000 homes and two dozen bridges.
CCTV footage from Tampa shows cars travelling over the Howard Frankland Bridge as dangerous waves hit the road.
“Really unsurvivable scenario,” director of the Hurricane Centre says
According to Michael Brennan, director of the Hurricane Centre, the video briefing shows wave heights from the hurricane could reach 20 feet in some places. He said:
A really unsurvivable scenario is going to play out.
Authorities said it would likely be several hours before rescuers could travel to help those in need.
Helene ranks as the 14th most powerful hurricane to hit the US since records have been kept and the seventh most powerful hurricane to hit Florida, according to the Hurricane Centre.
