The destructive and deadly Hurricane Helene stalled over western Kentucky and Tennessee early Saturday but still left nearly 3.8 million homes and businesses in the dark.
The remnants of Hurricane Helene stalled over the Tennessee Valley Saturday as the death toll from the destructive storm climbed to 52, with nearly 3.8 million homes and businesses across 10 states still without power, as damage estimates swelled to $110 billion.
The monstrous storm, which was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone Saturday, lashed across the southeastern United States after making landfall in Florida Thursday night.
Helene, one of the most powerful storms to rip through the US, packing up to 140 mph winds, was the third system to tear through the Panhandle region in just over a year.
Deaths were recorded across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, including a mother and her twin babies, three firefighters and an 89-year-old woman whose home was crushed by a downed tree.
At a press conference Saturday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he saw “complete obliteration” of homes across the coast, and reported that storm surges there reached 15 to 18 feet — and possibly even 20 feet at times.
Significant river flooding continued across the southern Appalachians Saturday and flood warnings remained in effect for portions of the Southeast and the central and southern Appalachians, according to the National Weather Service.
Heavy rain nearly collapsed the Nolichucky Dam in Greeneville, Tennessee, which the NWS called a “particularly dangerous situation,” as it urged at least 100,000 residents in the area to “Seek higher ground now!”
The dam remained intact despite water levels reaching 8 feet over the record crest, but officials said continued assessments were underway to determine “next steps,” the Tennessee Valley Authority said.
