The death toll from Hurricane Helene is 230 in seven states, predominantly in the South, with 101 in North Carolina.
This is the sixth week of recovery from the Category 4 hurricane that hit Florida on September 26. According to a Monday morning email to The Center Square, North Carolina Emergency Management reports seven people missing or unaccounted for.
The body of a missing worker in Tennessee was recovered last week, and her death was reported late Friday, bringing the state’s total fatalities to 18.
According to state officials, 49 people were killed in South Carolina; 34 in Georgia; 25 in Florida; two in Virginia; and one in Indiana.
The numbers based on information provided by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, and the Gibson County Sheriff’s Office in Indiana.
Helene is the fourth deadliest hurricane in the Atlantic Basin in the past 75 years. Only Katrina (2005, 1,392), Audrey (1957, 416), and Camille (1969, 256) killed more people.
Helene was one of three storms to land in Florida over the course of 66 days, causing destruction throughout the South.
Debby made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane at Steinhatchee, Fla., on August 5. Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Dekle Beach, Fla., on September 26. Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane near Siesta Key, Fla., on October 9.
Helene dissipated over the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, dropping more than 30 inches of rain in certain locations. Flooding was catastrophic, arguably the worst storm to hit North Carolina since Hurricanes Floyd in 1999 and Hazel in 1954 – the latter being the only Category 4 hurricane to make landfall on state coasts, while the former triggering a once-in-500-year flood.
According to PowerOutage.us, 591 people in Yancey County were without power as of late Monday morning. Madison, Rutherford, and Cleveland are the only remaining western counties with at least 100 consumers without electricity.
More than 1 million people lost power during the storm’s peak, which occurred over the last weekend of September.
According to DriveNC.org, Helene has caused 294 road closures. The number of minor roads was reduced by six on Friday to 243. Road closures include one interstate, 22 federal routes, and 28 state roads.