Current:Home > NewsAP PHOTOS: Hurricane Helene inundates the southeastern US -RiskWatch
AP PHOTOS: Hurricane Helene inundates the southeastern US
View
Date:2025-04-11 13:38:34
Tangled piles of nail-spiked lumber and displaced boats littered the streets. A house lay crushed under a fern-covered oak tree toppled by the winds. Residents waded or paddled through ruddy floodwaters, hoping to find their loved ones safe, and rescue crews used fan boats to evacuate stranded people in bathrobes or wrapped in blankets.
Authorities on Friday were trying to get a handle on Hurricane Helene ‘s extreme swath of destruction, which stretched across Florida, Georgia and much of the southeastern U.S. on Friday, leaving at least 30 people dead in four states and millions without power.
Helene was the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average season this year because of record-warm ocean temperatures.
The Category 4 hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph) and made landfall late Thursday where Florida’s Panhandle and peninsula meet, a rural region home to fishing villages and vacation hideaways.
Floodwaters inundated cars and buildings, and the winds ripped the roofs off businesses, houses and churches. Faith Cotto and her mother, Nancy, stood outside and mourned the loss of their brick home in St. Petersburg, Florida, to another fate: Amid so much water, it burned.
A Coast Guard crew in a helicopter rescued a man and his dog after his sailboat became disabled 25 miles (40 kilometers) off southwestern Florida. Firefighters carried children across floodwaters in Crystal River, north of Tampa.
But the damage reached much farther. In Atlanta on Friday, streets plunged into reddish-brown water. Hospitals in southern Georgia were left without electricity as officials warned of severe damage to the power grid. In Tennessee, dozens of people were rescued from a hospital roof, and authorities ordered the evacuation of downtown Newport, a city of about 7,000, due to the “catastrophic failure” of a dam.
veryGood! (94)
Related
- Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
- Shein invited influencers on an all-expenses-paid trip. Here's why people are livid
- States Have Proposals, But No Consensus, On Curbing Water Shortages In Colorado River Basin
- Dua Lipa Fantastically Frees the Nipple at Barbie Premiere
- Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
- 'Fresh Air' hosts Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley talk news, Detroit and psychedelics
- Feeling Overwhelmed About Going All-Electric at Home? Here’s How to Get Started
- The Supreme Court rules against USPS in Sunday work case
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- Prime Day 2023 Deals on Amazon Devices: Get a $400 TV for $99 and Save on Kindles, Fire Tablets, and More
Ranking
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Tom Holland Recalls Being Enslaved to Alcohol Before Sobriety Journey
- Surprise, you just signed a contract! How hidden contracts took over the internet
- It's back-to-school shopping time, and everyone wants a bargain
- Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
- Prepare for Nostalgia: The OG Beverly Hills, 90210 Cast Is Reuniting at 90s Con
- Petition Circulators Are Telling California Voters that a Ballot Measure Would Ban New Oil and Gas Wells Near Homes. In Fact, It Would Do the Opposite
- The Pathway to 90% Clean Electricity Is Mostly Clear. The Last 10%, Not So Much
Recommendation
Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
Gambling, literally, on climate change
Prime Day 2023 Deal: 30% Off the Celeb-Loved Laneige Lip Mask Used by Sydney Sweeney, Alix Earle & More
The streaming model is cratering — here's how that's hurting actors, writers and fans
Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
After Two Decades of Controversy, the EPA Uses Its ‘Veto’ Power to Kill the Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska
Countries Want to Plant Trees to Offset Their Carbon Emissions, but There Isn’t Enough Land on Earth to Grow Them
Here's How Margot Robbie Really Achieves Her Barbie Blonde Hair