Helene’s remnants are forecast to finally clear the Northeast late Tuesday or Wednesday.
BOONE, N.C. – Recovery efforts are ongoing in the Southeast as communities grapple with Hurricane Helene’s devastation that left dozens dead, entire neighborhoods underwater, and millions without power. The deadly storm’s stubborn leftovers continue to cause widespread disruption on Saturday.
The Category 4 storm, which made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region with 140 mph winds, has claimed at least 45 lives across five states. Hundreds have been rescued from the widespread flooding and property damage caused by the storm’s relentless rains and winds.
-
Bobbi Pattison reacts to damage inside her home in Steinhatchee, FL, after Hurricane Helene passed through on Friday, September 27, 2024. (Ted Richardson/For The Washington Post)
-
A boat which was pushed ashore by Hurricane Helene sits on dry ground in Keaton Beach, Florida, on September 27, 2024. (MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP)
-
Richard Carmichael rests after beginning to clean-up his home in Steinhatchee, FL, after Hurricane Helene passed through on Friday, September 27, 2024. (Ted Richardson/For The Washington Post)
-
Cyclists pass by a home on Treasure Island, FL, on Friday, September 27, 2024, where several boats washed-up in the front yard during Hurricane Helene. (Ted Richardson/For The Washington Post)
-
A team patrols the streets of Steinhatchee, FL, in an all-terrain vehicle after Hurricane Helene passed through on Friday, September 27, 2024. (Ted Richardson/For The Washington Post)
-
In this aerial view, power crews work on the lines after Hurricane Helene passed offshore on September 27, 2024 in Crystal River, Florida. (Joe Raedle)
-
A crew works to chainsaw and remove a large tree which fell on McClendon Avenue NE across from Neighborhood Church in the Candler Park neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia on Friday, September 27, 2024. (David Walter Banks)
-
A worker clears downed limbs in Perry, FL, after Hurricane Helene passed through on Friday, September 27, 2024. (Ted Richardson/For The Washington Post )
-
People look at flood damage on September 27, 2024 in Boone, North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits)
-
Debris left by Hurricane Helene after making landfall are seen in Cedar Key, Florida, on September 27, 2024. (MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP)
-
This aerial picture taken on September 27, 2024 shows a flooded street after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Steinhatchee, Florida. (RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP)
As of Saturday morning, power outages persisted across 10 states, affecting over 3 million customers – a slight improvement from the peak of the storm, when 4.7 million were without power.
FOX WEATHER EXCLUSIVE STORM TRACKER RECOUNTS CHASING HELENE
In this aerial view, power crews work on the lines after Hurricane Helene passed offshore on September 27, 2024 in Crystal River, Florida.
(Joe Raedle / Getty Images)
Devastating storm surge, near 100 mph wind gusts slam Florida
Helene’s storm surge caused catastrophic damage along Florida’s Gulf Coast, where nearly a half million still remain without power Saturday morning. The Big Bend region experienced surges exceeding 15 feet, while Clearwater Beach and Tampa saw their highest levels in decades.
The small barrier island of Treasure Island was particularly devastated, with widespread flooding and property damage.
BOATS SEEN PILED AGAINST HOMES IN TREASURE ISLAND AFTER HELENE’S SURGE DEVASTATES FLORIDA COAST
Boats were seen littered along a street in Treasure Island, Florida, early on Friday, as the community began to deal with what the local mayor called
Wind gusts measured as high as 99 mph in Perry, Florida as Helene made landfall.
Following landfall, the storm quickly moved through Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee, uprooting trees, splintering homes and overwhelming rivers and dams.
A catastrophic flood threat is escalating Saturday along the Nolichucky River in East Tennessee as the remnants of Helene unleashed torrential rainfall, pushing the river to the brink of a critical emergency.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a dire Flash Flood Emergency late Friday as the Nolichucky Dam in Greeneville teeters on the verge of collapse, threatening imminent danger to communities downstream.
WATCH: TENNESSEE DAM NEAR ‘IMMINENT’ FAILURE AFTER HEAVY RAIN FROM HELENE
Waves of raging river water were seen crashing over the Nolichucky Dam in Tennessee as authorities feared its imminent breach on Friday. The Tennessee Valley Authority said the breach could cause potentially life-threatening flooding downstream.
This comes after a record-breaking 28 Flash Flood Emergencies were issued across the Southeast, including Georgia, western North Carolina, parts of South Carolina and Virginia. Friday saw the most Flash Flood Emergencies issued in a single day nationwide.
Even as the storm weakened to a post-tropical cyclone, its devastating effects continued to be felt.
INTERSTATE 40 PARTIALLY COLLAPSES AFTER CATASTROPHIC RAINS IN NORTH CAROLINA
FOX Weather continues to follow the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, as over 200 reports of flooding have poured in from across the Southeast. Boone, North Carolina, is currently under a Flash Flood Warning, with life-threatening flooding inundating the area on Friday. Meteorologist Jane Minar is reporting live from Boone with the latest on the situation there.
Dozens of water rescues as record floods slam western North Carolina
In North Carolina, the storm’s torrential rains caused catastrophic flooding, particularly in the Asheville area. At least 50 water rescues were reported, and tragically, 19 lives were lost. The flooding was so severe that parts of the state remained underwater days after the storm passed.
One group of friends in Boone canoed the flooded South Fork New River for 32 minutes, landing at a washed out road on Friday.
“We saw trailers floating by, and cars toppled over”, one of the friends said.
Friends talk after having canoed the flooded South Fork New River for 32 minutes and landing at a washed out road on September 27, 2024 in Boone, North Carolina.
(Melissa Sue Gerrits / Getty Images)
Atlanta experienced its first-ever Flash Flood Emergency, breaking a 138-year-old rainfall record with 11.18 inches in two days. This caused severe flooding that submerged entire neighborhoods.
Rescue crews worked tirelessly to save stranded individuals, including a woman who was rescued by FOX Weather Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen. Hearing her cries for help while reporting nearby, Van Dillen immediately jumped into action to save her from the rising floodwaters.
FOX Weather Meteorologist Bob Van Dillen bravely rescued a woman who had driven into floodwaters in Atlanta early Friday morning.
Helene, which is now post-tropical, will continue to bring flooding rains over the weekend as a breakdown in the weather pattern will allow the system to meander across the East, the FOX Forecast Center said.
Around 2-4 inches of additional rain is likely from Western Tennessee into Ohio. Additional rain is expected in the Northern Appalachian Mountains. Helene’s lingering effects should finally exit the Northeast late Tuesday into Wednesday.