Helene causes severe flooding in the US, at least 33 people have died

In Tennessee, fears that a dam would fail near the city of Newport prompted officials to order the evacuation of the downtown area. Another dam in North Carolina is on the brink of collapse.

Before moving north through Georgia and into Tennessee and the Carolinas, Hurricane Helene hit Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 storm on Thursday at 11:10 p.m. ET with winds of 140 mph. It left behind a chaotic scene of capsized boats in the harbor, downed trees, submerged cars and flooded streets.

Flooding caused by Hurricane Helene on the outskirts of Boone, North Carolina on September 27, 2024. Photo: Reuters

The storm had weakened to a tropical depression by early Friday afternoon, with maximum sustained winds of 34 mph (55 km/h), the US National Hurricane Center said. But heavy rains from Helene still caused catastrophic flooding in many areas, forcing police and firefighters to conduct thousands of rescues in affected states.

More than 50 people were trapped on the roof of a hospital Friday afternoon in Unicoi County, Tennessee, about 120 miles northeast of Knoxville, as floodwaters poured into the rural community. State officials later said those people had been safely rescued.

Water rises nearly to the roof of a car in Boone, North Carolina on September 27, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Rising water from the Nolichucky River prevented ambulances and emergency vehicles from evacuating patients and others there, according to the Unicoi County Emergency Management Agency.

Elsewhere in Tennessee, Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis wrote on social media that the Walters Dam “has suffered a major failure” and that nearby downtown Newport, a city of 36,000, would be evacuated.

In western North Carolina, Rutherford County emergency officials warned residents near the Lake Lure Dam to immediately evacuate to higher ground, saying "The dam is about to fail."

A large tree falls on a house due to Hurricane Helene in Anderson, South Carolina, US on September 27, 2024. Photo: The Anderson Independent Mail

In nearby Buncombe County, mudslides forced the closure of Interstates 40 and 26, the county said on X. Floodwaters could reach more than 9 feet (nearly 3 meters) along Florida's west coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Authorities in Pinellas County, Florida, have confirmed at least five deaths. Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed two other deaths in Florida. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp cited 11 storm-related deaths in his state so far. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said there have been two deaths there.

Meanwhile, the Charleston-based Post & Courier newspaper reported, citing local officials, that at least 13 people were killed in the storm across South Carolina.

Huy Hoang (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/bao-helene-gay-ra-mua-lon-va-lu-lut-nghiem-trong-o-my-it-nhat-33-nguoi-thiet-mang-post314280.html