Southeastern U.S. Grapples with Devastation in Wake of Hurricane Helene

Authorities in the southeastern U.S. are managing widespread damage caused by Hurricane Helene, one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit the region. With at least 43 reported deaths, emergency services are engaged in rescue operations and disaster management, while power outages affect millions. Scientists link the storm's force to climate change.

Authorities across the southeastern United States are grappling with extensive destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene, one of the region's most powerful storms. As of late Friday, the hurricane's death toll stood at 43, with numbers expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue.

By late Friday, Helene was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone but continued to unleash heavy rains across multiple states, triggering life-threatening floods and raising fears of dam failures capable of inundating entire towns. In Florida's Pinellas County, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri likened the devastation to a war zone. Millions remain without power, and restoration efforts could take several days.

Scientists attribute the storm's intensity to climate change. Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane with 140 mph winds before moving north. The storm left a trail of overturned boats, felled trees, and submerged cars. In Tennessee, emergency crews rescued over 50 people stranded on a hospital roof, while officials in North Carolina and other states issued evacuation orders amid fears of dam collapses and landslides.

(With inputs from agencies.)