Hurricane Helene left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the entire southeastern U.S. on Friday, killing at least 40 people in four states, snapping towering oaks like twigs, tearing apart homes and sending rescue crews on desperate missions to save people from floodwaters.
The Category 4 hurricane knocked out power to some hospitals in southern Georgia, and Gov. Brian Kemp said authorities had to use chainsaws to clear debris and open up roads. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 km/h) when it made landfall late Thursday in a sparsely populated region in Florida鈥檚 rural Big Bend area, home to fishing villages and vacation hideaways where Florida鈥檚 Panhandle and peninsula meet.
Moody鈥檚 Analytics said Friday it expects US$15 to US$26 billion in property damage.
That damage extended hundreds of miles northward to northeast Tennessee, where a 鈥渄angerous rescue situation鈥 by helicopter unfolded after 54 people were moved to the roof of the Unicoi County Hospital as water rapidly flooded the facility. All staff and patients were rescued and no one was left at the hospital as of late Friday afternoon, Ballad Health said.
In North Carolina, a lake featured in the movie 鈥淒irty Dancing鈥 overtopped a dam. People in surrounding neighborhoods were evacuated, although there were no immediate concerns it would fail. People also were evacuated from Newport, Tennessee, a city of about 7,000 people, amid concerns about a dam near there, although officials later said the structure hadn't failed.
Tornadoes hit some areas, including one in Nash County, North Carolina, that critically injured four people.
Climate change has exacerbated conditions that allow such storms to thrive, rapidly intensifying in warming waters and turning into powerful hurricanes and typhoons, sometimes in a matter of hours.
When Laurie Lilliott pulled onto her street in Dekle Beach, Florida, after Helene plowed through, she couldn鈥檛 see the roofline of her home beyond the palm trees. It had collapsed, torn apart by Helene鈥檚 pounding storm surge, one corner still precariously propped up by a piling.
"It took me a long time to breathe,鈥 Lilliott said.
Destruction to the Faraway Inn Cottages and Motel is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Cedar Key, Fla., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (Stephen Smith / AP Photo)
As she surveyed the damage, her named and phone number were still inked on her arm in permanent marker, an admonition by Taylor County officials to help identify recovered bodies in the storm's aftermath. The community has taken direct hits from three hurricanes since August 2023.
All five who died in one Florida county were in neighbourhoods where residents had been told to evacuate, said Bob Gualtieri, the sheriff in Pinellas County in the St. Petersburg area. He said some who stayed because they didn鈥檛 believe the warnings had to hide in their attics to escape the rising water.
鈥淲e tried to launch boats, we tried to use high-water vehicles and we just met with too many obstacles,鈥 Gualtieri said, warning the death toll could rise as emergency crews go door-to-door in flooded areas.
More deaths were reported in Georgia and the Carolinas, including two South Carolina firefighters who were killed when a tree struck their firetruck.
Video on social media sites showed sheets of rain and siding coming off buildings in Perry, Florida, near where the storm arrived. One news station showed a home that was overturned, and many communities established curfews.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really heartbreaking,鈥 said Stephen Tucker, after the hurricane peeled the brand-new roof off a church in Perry, which was replaced after Hurricane Idalia last year.
An American flag sits in the floodwaters from Hurricane Helene in the Shore Acres neighbourhood Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
When the water rose up to Kera O鈥橬eil鈥檚 knees inside her home in Hudson, Florida, she knew it was time to escape.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a moment where you are thinking, 鈥業f this water rises above the level of the stove, we are not going to have not much room to breathe,鈥欌 she said, recalling how she and her sister waded through chest-deep water with one cat in a plastic carrier and another in a cardboard box.
In Cedar Key, Florida, Kegan Ward described the terror of tree limbs falling as the storm hit. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know what I was going to wake up to,鈥 Ward said.
President Joe Biden said he was praying for survivors as the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency headed to the area. The agency has deployed more than 1,500 workers, and they helped with 400 rescues by late morning. In Tampa, some areas could be reached only by boat.
Officials warned that floodwater could contain live wires, sewage, sharp objects and other debris.
鈥淚f you are trapped and need help please call for rescuers 鈥 DO NOT TRY TO TREAD FLOODWATERS YOURSELF,鈥 the sheriff鈥檚 office in Citrus County, Florida, warned in a Facebook post.
Nearly 4 million homes and businesses were without power Friday afternoon in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports.
Ronda Bell looks on after an Oak tree landed on her 100-year-old home after Hurricane Helene moved through, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Valdosta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
In Georgia, an electrical utility group warned of 鈥渃atastrophic鈥 damage to the state's utility infrastructure, with more than 100 high voltage transmission lines damaged. And officials in South Carolina, where more than 40 per cent of homes and businesses were without power, said crews needed to cut their way through debris just to determine what was still standing in some places.
The hurricane came ashore near the mouth of the Aucilla River on Florida鈥檚 Gulf Coast, about 20 miles (32 kilometres) northwest of where Idalia hit last year at nearly the same ferocity. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the damage from Helene appeared to be greater than the combined damage of Idalia and Hurricane Debby in August.
鈥淚t鈥檚 tough and we understand that. We also understand that this is a resilient state,鈥 DeSantis said at a news conference in storm-damaged St. Pete Beach, Florida.
Atlanta was drenched, leaving some neighborhoods so flooded that only car roofs could be seen poking out of the water.
As the hurricane鈥檚 eye passed near Valdosta, Georgia, a city of 55,000 near the Florida line, dozens of people huddled early Friday in a darkened hotel lobby. Helene is the third storm to strike the city in just over a year.
鈥淚 feel like a lot of us know what to do now,鈥 said Fermin Herrera, 20, cradling his sleeping 2-month-old daughter in a downstairs hallway of the hotel. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen some storms and grown some thicker skins."
Halle Brooks kayaks down a street flooded by Hurricane Helene in the Shore Acres neighbourhood Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Mike Carlson / AP Photo)
Soon after it crossed over land, Helene weakened to a tropical storm and later to a post-tropical cyclone. Forecasters said it continued to produce catastrophic flooding and some areas received more than a foot of rain.
A mudslide in the Appalachian Mountains washed out a section of an interstate at the North Carolina-Tennessee state line. Meanwhile, occupants of homes hit by another mudslide in North Carolina had to wait more than four hours to be rescued, said Ryan Cole, the emergency services assistant director in Buncombe County. His 911 centre received more than 3,300 calls in eight hours Friday.
鈥淭his is something that we鈥檙e going to be dealing with for many days and weeks to come,鈥 Cole said.
In North Carolina, forecasters warned of flooding that could be worse than anything seen in the past century. Evacuations were underway and around 300 roads were closed statewide. The Connecticut Army National Guard sent a helicopter to help.
School districts and multiple universities cancelled classes. Florida airports that had closed due to the storm reopened Friday. Inspectors were examining bridges and causeways along the Gulf Coast to get them reopened to traffic quickly, the state鈥檚 transportation secretary said.
Helene also swamped parts of Mexico鈥檚 Yucatan Peninsula, flooding streets and toppling trees as it brushed the resort city of Cancun and passed offshore this week. In western Cuba, Helene knocked out power to more than 200,000 homes and businesses as it brushed past the island.
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 Atlantic hurricane season this year because of record-warm ocean temperatures.
Payne reported from Tallahassee, Florida, and Hollingsworth reported from Kansas City, Missouri. Associated Press journalists Seth Borenstein in New York; Jeff Amy in Atlanta; Russ Bynum in Valdosta, Georgia; Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Andrea Rodr铆guez in Havana; Mark Stevenson and Mar铆a Verza in Mexico City; and Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon, contributed to this report.
Hurricane Helene left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the entire southeastern U.S. on Friday, killing at least 40 people in four states, snapping towering oaks like twigs, tearing apart homes and sending rescue crews on desperate missions to save people from floodwaters.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said Friday it had fined Air Canada US$250,000 for operating flights in 2022 and 2023 in prohibited Iraqi airspace.
More than 550 symptomatic people responded to an online questionnaire about a gastrointestinal illness at a Prince Edward Island shellfish festival last weekend.
The Israeli military struck Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut on Friday in a series of massive explosions that targeted the leader of the militant group and levelled multiple high-rise apartment buildings.
A 72-year-old inmate serving a life sentence for a brutal murder that happened in Chilliwack in 2016 has died, according to the Correctional Service of Canada.
A former Canadian military reservist has been sentenced to house arrest after posting a video of himself firing a shotgun at a picture of a member of Parliament whom he accused of being a "communist agent" for China.
Global Affairs Canada is booking blocks of seats on some commercial flights leaving Lebanon to help Canadians who are trying to flee as Israeli strikes escalated today.
The family of Jon Wells, a man who died in an incident involving Calgary police earlier this month, say they are seeking time to grieve their loss.
The sole Bloc Qu茅b茅cois opposition day before the winter break has been scheduled, but the party's Deputy House Leader says there is 'no point' in using it to put forward a non-confidence motion against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government.
A 72-year-old inmate serving a life sentence for a brutal murder that happened in Chilliwack in 2016 has died, according to the Correctional Service of Canada.
More than 550 symptomatic people responded to an online questionnaire about a gastrointestinal illness at a Prince Edward Island shellfish festival last weekend.
The family of Jon Wells, a man who died in an incident involving Calgary police earlier this month, say they are seeking time to grieve their loss.
There were some tense moments for a B.C. family this week after their dog came face-to-face with a protective mama bear right outside their front door.
A prominent Indigenous artist has teamed up with students in The Pas to create a mural bringing attention to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
When Ontario鈥檚 minimum wage goes up on Oct. 1, another group of workers will also see an increase. But what is the homeworkers鈥 minimum wage?
The Israeli military struck Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut on Friday in a series of massive explosions that targeted the leader of the militant group and levelled multiple high-rise apartment buildings.
The U.S. announced an agreement with the Iraqi government Friday to wrap up the military mission in Iraq of an American-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group by next year, with U.S. troops departing some bases that they have long occupied during a two-decade-long military presence in the country.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams pleaded not guilty Friday to federal bribery charges and other counts that have roiled the nation's biggest city after months of investigations, searches and subpoenas.
Two weeks of testimony suggested the company responsible for an experimental deep-water submersible that imploded, killing five people, either recklessly ignored warning signs in the name of profits or represented the nation's explorer spirit in taking calculated risks to push humankind's boundaries.
A Massachusetts woman pleaded guilty on Friday to running a high-end brothel network in the greater Boston area and the suburbs of Washington that served wealthy and well-connected clientele including politicians, corporate executives, lawyers and military officers.
Israel carried out part of its device attack targeting Hezbollah by concealing explosives inside the batteries of pagers brought into Lebanon, according to two high-ranking Lebanese security officials.
A former Canadian military reservist has been sentenced to house arrest after posting a video of himself firing a shotgun at a picture of a member of Parliament whom he accused of being a "communist agent" for China.
The sole Bloc Qu茅b茅cois opposition day before the winter break has been scheduled, but the party's Deputy House Leader says there is 'no point' in using it to put forward a non-confidence motion against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government.
Global Affairs Canada is booking blocks of seats on some commercial flights leaving Lebanon to help Canadians who are trying to flee as Israeli strikes escalated today.
A man from Alberta has been at the Medipal International Hospital in Kampala, Uganda for over two months with a hefty medical bill. He says he can鈥檛 leave until it鈥檚 been paid for.
More than 550 symptomatic people responded to an online questionnaire about a gastrointestinal illness at a Prince Edward Island shellfish festival last weekend.
A partial masking mandate has returned to Nova Scotia hospitals and provincially run healthcare facilities for visitors and healthcare workers.
Members of the Southern Georgian Bay OPP and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) are sounding the alarm on a rising number of online and phone scams targeting residents.
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen feels 'extremely hopeful' about society's ability to push social media platforms into being safer but for change to come, she says these companies need to be motivated in a new way.
OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati 鈥 who has been instrumental in the development of ChatGPT and the artificial intelligence image generator Dall-E 鈥 said Wednesday she is leaving the company.
Maggie Smith, the masterful, scene-stealing actor who won an Oscar for 1969 film 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' and gained new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in 'Downton Abbey' and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, died Friday. She was 89.
鈥婼ean 'Diddy' Combs wants to testify at his criminal trial for charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, according to his attorney.
The emotional cross-examination of the woman accusing Jacob Hoggard of sexual assault continued at his trial Friday, as the Canadian musician's defence lawyer sought to highlight possible issues with the complainant's memory.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said Friday it had fined Air Canada US$250,000 for operating flights in 2022 and 2023 in prohibited Iraqi airspace.
Canada's gross domestic product expanded at a faster-than-expected 0.2 per cent rate in July, driven by growth in retail trade and public sectors, but the economy likely stalled in August, Statistics Canada data showed on Friday.
Two weeks of testimony suggested the company responsible for an experimental deep-water submersible that imploded, killing five people, either recklessly ignored warning signs in the name of profits or represented the nation's explorer spirit in taking calculated risks to push humankind's boundaries.
A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.
Regina and John Zdravich left the U.S. for Italy after falling in love with the European country, then unexpectedly found themselves 'homeless.'
Home Depot was about to launch something big 鈥 really big 鈥 when the pandemic hit in the spring of 2020: a 12-foot skeleton.
The Toronto Raptors have confirmed that Vince Carter's No. 15 will be the first number to be retired by the NBA franchise.
Canadian legend Christine Sinclair announced Friday that she will retire from playing professional soccer at the end of the season.
The Winnipeg Jets announced Friday they are signing Bryan Little to a one-day contract, allowing the centre to retire with the franchise he spent his entire NHL career with.
More than 12,000 vehicles in Canada are included in two separate recalls by Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda.
Ontario's Premier Doug Ford wants to dig Canada's largest city out of its traffic woes.
A bizarre discovery was made on a dirt road in Clearview Township.
When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.
A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.
Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.
Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.
A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.
An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.
An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.
Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.
A U.S. driver somehow squeezed her vehicle through a parkade hallway at a Metro Vancouver casino Thursday, before getting stuck at an elevator bank.
A former Canadian military reservist has been sentenced to house arrest after posting a video of himself firing a shotgun at a picture of a member of Parliament whom he accused of being a "communist agent" for China.
A fish farm in Powell River, B.C., has been fined $350,000 for operating without a licence.
Police have arrested four more people in connection with a viral video that showed a woman stealing a Porsche from a Mississauga driveway and then striking its owner as she attempted to flee the scene.
The Toronto Raptors have confirmed that Vince Carter's No. 15 will be the first number to be retired by the NBA franchise.
Two Italian citizens have been apprehended after allegedly illegally crossing over the International Railroad Bridge to the United States.
The family of Jon Wells, a man who died in an incident involving Calgary police earlier this month, say they are seeking time to grieve their loss.
Calgary's mayor says a supervised consumption site isn't working, but the city is waiting for the province to take action.
Safaa went to Lebanon looking to meet with a specialist for her Crohn's disease. Now, she and her four children are caught in the conflict between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah.
Parking rates at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) will increase as of Tuesday for patients, visitors and staff.
When Hurricane Helene roared ashore in Florida as a Category 4 storm on Thursday, former Ottawa resident Judy Brown felt its wrath.
A rat infestation in Overbrook is causing a major headache for residents, who say the problem is out of control. Rats can be seen in yards day and night, with no sign of relief.
A 31-year-old man has been charged following the death of a woman who went missing in southern Quebec earlier this week.
Montreal police say they've arrested a man in connection with the theft of tens of thousands of dollars in golf merchandise tied to the Presidents Cup PGA Tour being held this week in the city.
After facing backlash for subsidizing NHL preseason games, the Quebec government has allocated $480,000 for the Four Nations Tournament in February, raising further questions about its spending on professional sports.
One person was taken to hospital after a fire in west central Edmonton on Friday afternoon.
The Alberta RCMP says Premier Danielle Smith was "inaccurate" in statements about the province's Mounties on Thursday.
The new $153 million recreation centre and velodrome in Edmonton's Coronation Park is taking shape.
A youth who stabbed two staff members at a Bedford, N.S., high school in March 2023 has been sentenced to two years of probation, with certain conditions.
More than 550 symptomatic people responded to an online questionnaire about a gastrointestinal illness at a Prince Edward Island shellfish festival last weekend.
A 43-year-old man and a 45-year-old man, both from Sussex, N.B., have died as the result of a single-vehicle crash near Hay Settlement, N.B.
The Province of Manitoba has signed off on the sale of Portage Place, finalizing a deal with all three levels of government for True North to purchase the mall.
An Ontario woman who allegedly abducted her three children from Ontario and crossed into Manitoba was arrested in Saskatchewan this week.
Winnipeg police say the death of a cat in the West End area is suspicious, as officers investigate a slew of feline deaths in the city.
George Gordon First Nation has completed their second phase in search of unmarked graves.
Saskatchewan's Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) says it has determined that RCMP officers fired their guns, as it continues its investigation into a fatal incident on Fishing Lake First Nation that left a 34-year-old man dead.
RCMP are asking the public to be on the lookout for a 55-year-old man who failed to return to a correctional centre in Yorkton Thursday night and is thought to be travelling to or in the Regina area.
Advocates are demanding an apology after a staff report regarding the destruction of corn crops in Wilmot Township was found to be lacking in detail.
When Ontario鈥檚 minimum wage goes up on Oct. 1, another group of workers will also see an increase. But what is the homeworkers鈥 minimum wage?
Wellington County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are asking for the public鈥檚 help as they investigate two fires in the town of Erin, that are considered suspicious.
Saskatoon's homeless population is on pace to more than double in one year, according to data from the Saskatoon Fire Department.
The most important issues for Saskatchewan voters depends on which party they support, according to a new poll.
A third neighbourhood bikeway street in Saskatoon will soon have a speed limit of 30 kilometres per hour (km/h).
There were some tense moments for a B.C. family this week after their dog came face-to-face with a protective mama bear right outside their front door.
The emotional cross-examination of the woman accusing Jacob Hoggard of sexual assault continued at his trial Friday, as the Canadian musician's defence lawyer sought to highlight possible issues with the complainant's memory.
At its meeting Oct. 1, city council in Sault Ste. Marie will vote on a staff recommendation to buy the former Sault Area Hospital site on Queen Street East and Lucy Terrace.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims and Hikma Public Affairs Council have both released statements on social media regarding the reported incident.
An early morning collision in south London is raising questions about the actions of a garbage truck driver who accelerated in reverse 鈥 slamming into Rebekkah Wilkin鈥檚 car.
Monday is Truth and Reconciliation Day 鈥 a day to remember lives lost a residential schools.
A multi-vehicle collision on Highway 400 in Bradford caused some traffic backups ahead of the weekend.
Several heavily armed officers descended on a home in the southeast area of Barrie Thursday afternoon after reports of a man armed with a crossbow.
Officers arrested a man accused of being impaired after he allegedly drove himself to the Barrie police station.
The Ontario government unveiled a new battery storage project in Tilbury that aims to provide reliable and affordable clean energy to families and businesses.
Several events and ceremonies are taking place across Windsor and Essex County this weekend to honour the fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Monday, Sept. 30.
The Windsor Police Service is looking to identify three suspects after an alleged assault involving a knife and bear mace.
A former Canadian military reservist has been sentenced to house arrest after posting a video of himself firing a shotgun at a picture of a member of Parliament whom he accused of being a "communist agent" for China.
British Columbia NDP Leader David Eby says his government would fast-track factory-built homes as part of its strategy to ease the province's housing crisis.
There were some tense moments for a B.C. family this week after their dog came face-to-face with a protective mama bear right outside their front door.
A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.
The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls 鈥 including one that gave birth to 10 puppies 鈥 from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.
A man and woman have been charged after a Lethbridge ice creamery was broken into earlier this week. Staff arrived at Cookie Crimes, in the 300 block of Sixth Street South, just before 5:30 a.m. on Monday to discover the front window broken.
Fire investigators are working to determine the cause of a blaze that killed about 9,000 turkey chicks in Vulcan County, Alta.
Four Lethbridge high school football players accused of sexual assault last year won't go to trial.
Police in Sault Ste. Marie have charged a 47-year-old suspect after a 911 caller reported someone asleep in line at a local drive-thru.
At its meeting Oct. 1, city council in Sault Ste. Marie will vote on a staff recommendation to buy the former Sault Area Hospital site on Queen Street East and Lucy Terrace.
Sault Police say a 50-year-old suspect had a busy morning Thursday, and is now charged with committing several offences between 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
A soccer game in England on Tuesday night drove a spike in online traffic across the Atlantic to a website launched by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
Newfoundland and Labrador sponsored a minor football team in England, now they鈥檙e about to play one of the biggest clubs in European soccer.
Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆影视. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.
