Category 4 Hurricane “Helene” slams Florida with destructive storm surge, leaves over 240 dead in U.S.
Hurricane “Helene” made landfall near Perry in the Big Bend region of Florida at 23:10 local time (LT) on Thursday, September 26, 2024, as a Category 4 hurricane with record-breaking winds of 220 km/h (140 mph). It created massive life-threatening storm surges of up to 6.1 m (20 feet). Multiple extreme wind warnings have been issued across several counties in the Big Bend region before the arrival of the eye of the storm.
Satellite image of Hurricane "Helene" making landfall in Florida's Big Bend at 03:10 UTC on September 27, 2024. Credit: NOAA/GOES-East, RAMMB/CIRA, The Watchers
- Hurricane “Helene” made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 storm on Thursday, September 26, with winds reaching 225 km/h (140 mph), making it the strongest hurricane to hit the region since records began in 1851.
- The storm generated a 6.1 m (20 feet) storm surge in some areas, with Clearwater Beach experiencing its highest water levels since the Superstorm of 1993. Significant surges between 3 and 6.1 m (10 and 20 feet) were reported along the west coast of Florida.
- Over 2.1 million customers in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas experienced power outages due to Helene’s powerful winds and flooding. This amounts to an estimated 5.2 to 6.3 million people left without power as the storm’s impact spread across the region.
- Helene is the fourth hurricane to make landfall on the US Gulf Coast in 2024, joining Beryl, Debby, and Francine. Only five other years have seen more than four landfalls in the Gulf since records began in 1851.
Hurricane “Helene” made landfall near Perry in Florida’s Big Bend at 03:10 UTC on Friday, September 27 (23:10 local time (LT)) on Thursday. It intensified into a Category 4 hurricane before landfall with wind speeds reaching 225 km/h (140 mph) during landfall, creating a massive 6.1 m (20 feet) storm surge. The minimum central pressure upon landfall was 938 hPa.
Helene is the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Florida’s Big Bend since records there began in 1851, breaking the previous record of 201 km/h (125 mph) set in 1896 by the Cedar Keys Hurricane.
It is also the fourth hurricane to make landfall on the US Gulf Coast in 2024 after Beryl, Debby, and Francine. So far there are only five years on record that have experienced more than 4 landfalls in the US Gulf coast in a single year since records began in 1851: 1886, 1909, 1985, 2005, and 2020.
Meteorologists at the NWS office in Tallahassee issued a rare Extreme Wind Warning for several counties in the Big Bend ahead of the approach of the eyewall.
Videos shared online show severe inundation and strong winds sweeping away homes and causing widespread damage.
Clearwater Beach saw a surge of over 2.1 m (7 feet), the highest on record since the Superstorm of 1993, also referred to as the “Storm of the Century.”
Storm surge as high as 6.1 m (20 feet) was expected from Carrabelle to the Suwannee River in Florida, while Apalachicola and Chassahowitzka were forecast to experience surge between 3 and 4.6 m (10 to 15 feet).
The storm surge had already submerged the streets of St. Pete Beach by Thursday evening. Further south, the local fire rescue department in the Sunset Beach community stated they would not receive any calls for service due to the flooding.
In Lee County, a storm surge of over 1.5 m (5 feet) submerged streets, forcing local authorities to use boats and swamp buggies for search and rescue operations.
As of 08:20 UTC on September 27, more than 1.2 million customers in Florida, 600 000 in Georgia, and more than 200 000 in the Carolinas are experiencing power outages due to the storm. Prior to landfall, Helene caused power outages affecting roughly 800 000 customers in Florida, while Georgia and the Carolinas also experienced some power outages.
This amounts to an estimated 5.2 to 6.3 million people left without power as the storm’s impact spread across the region.
At 06:00 UTC, the center of Hurricane “Helene” was located about 50 km (30 miles) N of Valdosta, Georgia, and 135 km (85 miles) NE of Tallahassee, Florida.
The system had maximum sustained winds of 145 km/h (90 mph) and a minimum central pressure of 955 hPa.
It was moving NNE at 42 km/h (26 mph).
A turn toward the north is expected overnight (LT), taking the center over central and northern Georgia this morning. After that, Helene is expected to turn northwestward and slow down over the Tennessee Valley later today and Saturday.
Continued weakening is expected, but the fast forward speed will allow strong, damaging winds, especially in gusts, to penetrate well inland across the southeastern United States, including over the higher terrain of the southern Appalachians.
The risk for several tornadoes continues tonight through this morning over parts of north/central Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and southern North Carolina. The tornado risk will persist today across the Carolinas and southern Virginia.
Updates
06:22 UTC, September 28
According to the latest reports, the number of fatalities exceeded 50.
21 fatalities were reported in South Carolina, 18 in Georgia, 9 in Florida, 3 in North Carolina, and 1 in Virginia, making a total of 51 as of 06:00 UTC.
More than 3.2 million customers are without power as of 06:00 UTC. South Carolina is reporting 981 850 outages, Georgia 789 379, North Carolina 732 515, Florida 534 716, and Ohio 231 189.
Based on an average household size of 2.5 people, it is estimated that approximately 8 170 000 people are impacted by these outages.
Helene weakened into a tropical storm around 09:00 UTC on September 27 as it moved farther inland over Georgia.
At 15:00 UTC on September 27, the NHC reported that Helene was producing catastrophic flooding over portions of the Southeast and the southern Appalachians. Flash flood emergencies were in effect for metropolitan Atlanta, much of upstate South Carolina, and western North Carolina.
Helene further weakened into a tropical depression at 18:00 UTC on September 27 but continued to produce historic and catastrophic flooding over portions of the Southeast and the southern Appalachians.
13:00 UTC, September 30
As of early September 30, the death toll across the country has surpassed 118, with 1 153 people still unaccounted for or missing.
In North Carolina, over 46 people have lost their lives, and more than 1 000 remain missing. The hardest-hit area is Buncombe County, with more than 30 reported fatalities. Henderson County has seen 5 deaths, while Catawba, Gaston, and Mecklenburg counties each have reported 1 death. Additionally, 8 others have been confirmed dead, though their specific locations remain unreported, as noted by CBS News.
In South Carolina, 30 deaths have been confirmed. Spartanburg County has reported 6 deaths, Greenville County 5, Aiken and Saluda counties 4 each, Anderson County 4, Laurens County 3, Newberry County 2, and both Greenwood and Chesterfield counties have each reported 1 death.
In Georgia, 25 deaths have been reported. Richmond County has been hardest hit with 6 fatalities. McDuffie County has recorded 4 deaths, while Lowndes County has seen 3. Wheeler, Laurens, Jeff Davis, and Washington counties each reported 2 deaths, and Colquitt, Pierce, Liberty, and Columbia counties have each confirmed 1 death.
In Florida, there have been 13 reported deaths. Pinellas County accounted for 10 fatalities, Hillsborough County for 2, and Dixie County for 1. Notably, there have been no reported deaths in Taylor County, where the hurricane made landfall.
In Tennessee, at least 2 people have died, with over 153 still missing. One fatality was reported in Unicoi County, and another in Johnson County.
In Virginia, 2 deaths have been reported. Craig County and Tazewell County have each seen 1 fatality.
16:00 UTC, October 2
The death toll has exceeded 160 and is expected to continue rising.
Approximately 486 000 customers in South Carolina, 356 000 in Georgia, 345 000 in North Carolina, 41 000 in Virginia, and 41 000 in Florida are still without power, bringing the total to around 1 268 000 customers affected — approximately 3.3 million people.
18:00 UTC, October 9
Helene’s death toll is estimated to exceed 247 across seven states, with the number of missing people varying between 102 and 300.
More than 124 fatalities have been reported in North Carolina, with over 75 people still missing.
48 deaths have been reported in South Carolina, and 33 in Georgia. 26 people have died in Florida, while more than 13 fatalities have been reported in Tennessee, with over 27 still missing.
Virginia has reported two deaths, while Indiana has reported only 1 fatality linked to Helene.
Helene is now the second deadliest hurricane to make landfall on the U.S. mainland in 55 years.
Estimates of the economic losses related to Helene continue to vary as of late September, with analysts estimating damages to exceed 34 billion USD. AccuWeather, which initially estimated a range of 145 – 160 billion USD, later raised the range to 225 – 250 billion USD. These varying estimates are due to differences in estimation techniques. AccuWeather’s estimates include a broader range of factors, such as the loss of life, immediate and long-term healthcare costs for storm survivors and injured first responders, extended power outages, and major infrastructure reconstruction projects for utilities.
Another factor affecting the estimates is that the storm was far stronger than expected. According to experts, Helene poured around 151 trillion liters (40 trillion gallons) of rain across the affected regions. The extent of the damage is so great that it is difficult to estimate the total cost accurately.
Search and rescue operations, along with relief efforts, are still ongoing as the U.S. braces for the impact of Category 5 Hurricane “Milton”.
References:
1 Hurricane Helene public advisories – NHC – Issued on September 26 and 27, 2024
2 Helene’s deadly toll mounts as search for victims across Southeast enters its second week – FOX Weather – October 2, 2024
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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