Communities across the southeast are left devastated in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in the midst of flooded streets and damaged homes.
The deadliest hurricane since Katrina in 2005 has passed a death toll of 230, as there are still missing civilians who are yet to be located at this time. Vice President Harris visited Augusta, Georgia last week in efforts to provide resources with assistance from Governor Kemp. President Biden went to Asheville, North Carolina to survey the extensive destruction that has defaced the town.
Residents who are without power and unable to return to work due to flooded roads weigh in on the current response.
“When we saw the projected track for the storm a few weeks ago, we couldn’t have imagined how bad it would really be. We are so thankful for the attention we’ve gotten as we try to rebuild our community.” – John Wyman, Lowndes County resident
In the lead up to landfall, Helene upgraded to a Category 4 storm, giving little time for people to properly prepare for the incoming high winds. This caused confusion on when and where to evacuate for those affected.
“We weren’t sure as to what to do when they announced it strengthened into Category 4, given it was going to hit a majority of the state and south of us in the Florida panhandle. We had nowhere to evacuate to in that short amount of time.” – Michael Taylor, South Georgia resident
Georgia Power has reported that power has been restored for approximately 95% of customers who have been impacted by Helene. Georgia Power CEO Kim Greene said in a statement, “Our work isn’t done until every customer who can receive power has it.” While there are citizens who are still in need of reinforcement, basic supplies such as food and water continue to be scarce.
Georgia remains under threat as other newly formed tropical storms loom in the Atlantic. Milton is expected to make landfall tomorrow, impacting most of the Florida panhandle, some of whom are still recovering from Helene’s impact on northern and central Florida cities. Southeastern Georgia is expected to experience up to 8 inches of rain in the storm, creating more issues for the already flooded region.
Any person interested in donating to relief efforts can visit www.redcross.org.
