CEDAR KEY, SEPT 29 – Rescuers struggled yesterday to overcome washed-out bridges and debris-strewn roads in an effort to find survivors from the devastating storm Helene, which has claimed at least 63 lives in five states in the United States (US) and causing major power outages.
Helene hit Florida on Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane and moved north, gradually weakening but leaving downed trees, downed power lines and homes destroyed by landslides.
A federal emergency has been declared in six states, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, with more than 800 members of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deployed.
Now classified as a ‘post-tropical cyclone’, the remnants of the storm are expected to continue flooding the Ohio Valley and central Appalachian region through today, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
In affected communities along the east coast and Midwest, storm victims and volunteers with trash bags, mops, and hammers tried to repair what they could and clean up the rest.
“Only a few businesses are open. Their supply is limited. So I’m worried about families with kids and stuff, to get shelter and food,” said Steven Mauro, a resident of Valdosta, Georgia.
At least 24 people died in South Carolina, 17 in Georgia, 11 in Florida, 10 in North Carolina, and one in Virginia, according to authorities and local media counted by AFP.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said conditions will “continue to improve today following catastrophic flooding over the past two days.”
However, authorities warned of the possibility of prolonged power outages.
“The main problem is electricity,” said a man from Valdosta who declined to be named.
“The whole city is without electricity, traffic lights are not working. So people should just stay at home.”
More than 2.6 million customers were still without power in 10 states from Florida in the Southeast to Indiana in the Midwest, as of early this morning, according to the poweroutage.us tracker. – AFP
