The aftermath of Hurricane Helene caused significant destruction across the Southeast on Friday, following its landfall in Florida's Big Bend region the previous night as a perilous Category 4 storm. The storm has been linked to numerous fatalities across multiple states, with the National Hurricane Center characterizing the flooding as historic and catastrophic.
In Tennessee, rising floodwaters compelled several individuals at a hospital to seek refuge on the roof for rescue. Ballad Health reported that Unicoi County Hospital was "overwhelmed by extremely hazardous and swiftly moving water." By late Friday afternoon, all personnel and patients at the hospital had been successfully rescued, according to Ballad Health. Helene has been associated with at least 43 fatalities. A representative for Georgia Governor Brian Kemp indicated that 15 individuals lost their lives in the state, including a first responder, as noted by Kemp earlier on Friday. In South Carolina, officials confirmed that 17 people perished due to the storm, including two firefighters and two individuals who died when trees fell on their homes.
In Florida, the administrator of Pinellas County reported five deaths to CBS News. Governor Ron DeSantis informed reporters that at least one individual lost their life in the Tampa area when a traffic sign fell onto a vehicle. Additionally, Tampa police confirmed the death of a woman in her late 70s, who was found deceased in her home after water entered the residence.
Another fatality occurred in Dixie County when a tree collapsed onto a house, as stated by DeSantis. In North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper reported two deaths in the state. One individual died in a crash on a flooded roadway, while another was killed when a tree fell on a residence, according to the Mecklenburg Emergency Medical Services Agency. A third person involved in that incident was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.
In Virginia, Governor Glenn Youngkin confirmed one death during a news conference on Friday. As of 5 p.m. EDT, Helene was located approximately 50 miles south-southeast of Louisville, Kentucky, moving north-northwest at 17 mph, according to the Miami-based hurricane center.
Daylight unveiled scenes of complete devastation along Florida's Gulf Coast, including a massive tree that crashed into an apartment building in Tallahassee and boats that ended up in front yards in Treasure Island. According to utility tracker PowerOutage.us, over 4 million customers across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia were without power by Friday afternoon.
Governor DeSantis reported that emergency teams carried out thousands of rescue operations overnight. In Atlanta, responders assisted a couple, their infant, and two dogs to safety. "The vehicle was navigating through the water when it began to float away from the roadway," stated Atlanta Fire Rescue Captain Scott Seely. "They managed to exit the vehicle and climb on top of it," FlightAware reported that several airports were closed due to the storm, leading to nearly 1,300 flight cancellations on Thursday. By Friday afternoon, around 1,000 flights within the U.S. had been canceled.
More than 175 individuals sought refuge in a Tallahassee school. Annie Sloan, one of the evacuees, shared with CBS News Miami: "I chose to come to the shelter because I live alone. My son was going to take me to Georgia, but we found out the hurricane was heading there too, so I decided to shelter here since my husband passed away, and I didn't want to be alone at home.
" Most gas stations in the Tallahassee region were either closed or out of fuel. School districts and many universities canceled classes for Friday. CBS News senior weather and climate producer David Parkinson characterized Helene as a "massive" storm. NASA released footage of the hurricane from the International Space Station, illustrating the storm's vast size as it moved through the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday afternoon.