EnvironmentWeather tracker: Hurricane Helene leaves trail of death and...

Weather tracker: Hurricane Helene leaves trail of death and devastation

-

Hurricane Helene hit the Florida coastline as a category 4 hurricane with mean wind speeds of 140mph, making it the strongest hurricane on record to strike the Florida Big Bend region. It carried on northwards through several states in the south-eastern US, causing significant devastation. Two hundred people are known to have died, making it the deadliest mainland hurricane in the US since Katrina in 2005.

Rapid weakening occurred as Helene made its way inland, becoming a category 2 hurricane by the time it reached Georgia on Friday morning, then weakening further to a tropical storm later in the day. Despite weakening, the storm continued to bring huge amounts of rainfall and strong winds to Georgia and other states, including South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.

The worst affected state was North Carolina, where almost half of the deaths occurred. The state received three months-worth of rain, with three-day totals of up to 31in (775mm) at Busick, in the North Carolina mountains, while Asheville airport recorded 14in (350mm). Buncombe County was especially affected, with 50 deaths confirmed after the worst flooding since 1916 swept away thousands of homes, with rivers reaching record levels.

Strong winds were also felt in western North Carolina, with a 66mph gust at Charlotte airport the strongest there since a thunderstorm microburst in August 2019, while gusts of more than 80mph were recorded elsewhere. The winds caused major power outages across the south-eastern US, with millions of people without power.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Typhoon Krathon struck Taiwan, bringing powerful storm surges and strong winds. Krathon made landfall as a category 1 storm in southern Taiwan, hitting the country’s second largest city, Kaohsiung, with 100mph gusts. Alongside damage to trees and roofs, hundreds of containers were thrown from ships in the city’s port. Two deaths have been confirmed, with several people reported missing amid the destruction of homes by landslides.

skip past newsletter promotion

Authorities had made extra preparations for Krathon, showing extra caution after Typhoon Gaemi in July, which killed 11 people. Hundreds of flights were cancelled and planes grounded on Wednesday and Thursday, while schools, offices, and marketplaces were ordered to close.

Latest news

Four-Year-Old Boy Who Smashed Rare Bronze Age Jar Returns To Museum In Israel

A four-year-old boy who accidentally broke an ancient urn dating back to the late Bronze Age has returned for...

Donald Trump Threatens To Imprison Mark Zuckerburg For

Donald Trump has threatened to imprison Mark Zuckerberg if the Facebook founder does "anything illegal" to influence the upcoming...

Hamas Commander Killed In West Bank, Israeli Military Says

Israeli border police say they have killed a senior Hamas commander in the West Bank. The military says Wassem...

Abba Demands Donald Trump Campaign Stop Use Of Their Music – Joining Long List Of Stars

Abba has become the third musical act this month to complain about its music being used in Donald Trump's...

Must read

More

    Watchdog opens investigation into anti-immigrant posts on Facebook

    Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta must answer “serious questions” about its...

    Ethiopia’s Beetle mania: how an entire country fell in love with Volkswagen’s quirky classic

    When Yared Agonafer, an Ethiopian gold and silver merchant,...

    You might also likeRELATED
    Recommended to you