By The Independent (World News) | Created at 2024-09-27 05:35:17 | Updated at 2024-09-30 07:26:02
3 days ago
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Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
At least one person has died as Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as one of the most powerful storms to strike the United States, bringing “catastrophic” and “unsurvivable” conditions.
Helene hit Florida’s Big Bend region just after 11pm ET as a Category 4 storm packing sustained winds of around 130 mph (209 kph), the National Hurricane Center said.
Even before it made landfall, the storm had flooded the Gulf Coast and knocked out power for at least 1 million customers in the state. Apart from Florida, Alabama, and parts of the Carolinas are also at risk of flooding.
One death has been confirmed dead, according to governor Ron DeSantis, who added that there are likely to be more fatalities in the state as the storm moves through and the full scale of the devastation becomes clear in the morning.
All parts of Florida are under a hurricane or tropical storm warning.
Helene’s size is massive compared to previous hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm was forecast to be one of the largest storms in breadth to hit the region in years, with only three bigger since 1988.
One dead and more fatalities likely after Helene landfall
At least one person has died in Florida after the Category 4 storm made landfall causing severe flooding.
The identity of the person and the cause has not been shared but in a press conference governor Ron DeSantis said it happened at Interstate 4 near the Tampa area.
He urged people to not travel, saying the "roads can be hazardous" and it's "very, very dangerous".
"Stay put!"
Mr DeSantis warned that there are likely to be "additional" fatalities in the state as the storm moves through.
"When Floridians wake up tomorrow morning, we're going to be waking up to a state where very likely there's been additional loss of life," he says. "And certainly, there's going to be loss of property."
He notes emergency crews don't know the extent of the impact yet due to it being night time in Florida.
"We're not getting a full picture yet," he says.
Stuti Mishra27 September 2024 06:22
Photos show Tampa’s Florida High Patrol close the Sunshine Skyway Bridge
The Florida Highway Patrol in Tampa said it was closing the Sunshine Skyway Bridge Thursday afternoon, as conditions in the area are continuing to devolve.
“As weather conditions continue to deteriorate & wind gusts have reached 60 MPH, FHP is closing the #Skyway,” the patrol wrote on X.
“Motorists are requested to seek alternate routes, do not drive through flooded roads & unless absolutely necessary stay off area roadways.”
Michelle Del Rey27 September 2024 05:45
Appalachians will see catastrophic flooding, landslides
The southern Appalachians are expected to see strong, damaging winds and rainfall of up to a foot, with some isolated amounts of 20 inches.
“This rainfall will likely result in catastrophic and potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding, along with significant river flooding. Numerous significant landslides are expected in steep terrain across the southern Appalachians,” the National Hurricane Center warned.
The National Weather Service’s office in South Carolina’s Greenville-Spartanburg warned of “one of the most significant weather events to happen in the western portions of the area in the modern era.”
“Record flooding is forecasted and has been compared to the floods of 1916 in the Asheville area,” it said.
Michelle Del Rey27 September 2024 05:15
Read it: Category 4 Hurricane Helene roars ashore in Florida
Category 4 Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region on Thursday night, bringing with it deadly winds of 140mph and a “catastrophic” storm surge.
Michelle Del Rey27 September 2024 05:02
One million people in Florida without power
Poweroutage.us is now reporting over a million people are without power.
Michelle Del Rey27 September 2024 04:55
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri warns residents about playing ‘stupid games’ ahead of Helene
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri warned residents in evacuation zones about playing “stupid games.”
Storm surge in the county could top between five and eight feet there.
“We’ve all heard the adage, play stupid games win stupid prizes. Somebody is going to win a stupid prize because they’re not going to get out and we’re not coming,” Gualtieri said.
People in evacuation zone A should get out now.
Michelle Del Rey27 September 2024 04:45
National Hurricane Center announces Helene makes landfall
Michelle Del Rey27 September 2024 04:40
DeSantis delivers remarks
“When Floridians wake up tomorrow morning, we’re going to be waking up to a state where there’s been additional loss of life and certainly theres going to be loss of property,” DeSantis said during the news conference. “You’re going to have people losing their homes because of this storm.”
DeSantis advised people against going out in the storm as it hits land. He told Floridians to expect additional power outages.
Residents could be prepared for wind damage and falling trees.
Michelle Del Rey27 September 2024 04:34
A look at Hurricane Helene from space
Videos capture Hurricane Helene from space. Satellites and the ISS are capturing jaw-dropping footage of this colossal force of nature, OrbitalToday.com wrote on X.
Michelle Del Rey27 September 2024 04:20
