TALLAHASSEE, SEPT 27 – Two people were killed in Georgia by tornadoes, the governor said today, as Hurricane Helene hit the state after causing one death in Florida when it hit the southeastern United States (US).
Tornado warnings were issued across northern Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas before the powerful hurricane made landfall late yesterday.
The US National Hurricane Center warned of ‘catastrophic winds’ as well as life-threatening storm surge and heavy rain from the storm, although it weakened as it made landfall.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said two people had died in the central part of the state, while urging “all Georgians to prepare for further effects from Helene, remain vigilant, and pray for all those affected” in a post on the X social media platform.
Local media reported a man and a woman were killed when a trailer was blown over by the tornado, Wheeler County Emergency Management Agency Director Steve Adams said.
“The trailer was blown across the highway by the tornado, hitting two vehicles, before crashing in a field,” the news reported. WTOC-TV.
Earlier in the day, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said a victim had died while driving in the coastal city of Tampa.
“We received a report of one death on the road. A car that was driving on I-40… in Tampa was struck when a sign fell onto the freeway,” DeSantis said in a briefing on Hurricane Helene.
“It shows how dangerous the situation is out there,” he added.
“You need to take cover now. This is not the right time to go out.”
More than 55 million Americans are under some form of weather warning or warning as a result of Hurricane Helene.
The National Weather Service said areas in the hurricane’s path could be severely affected, with flooding not seen in more than a century. – AFP
