Three people died in Florida and Georgia, in the USA, during the passage of Hurricane Helen, which has now been downgraded to a tropical storm, but remains extremely dangerous.
Helen weakened to tropical storm status as it moved inland, passing over Georgia, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest update.
The tropical storm has crossed Florida and is now about 165 kilometers southeast of Atlanta, Georgia, packing winds of 110 kilometers per hour, the Miami-based center said, warning residents to stay in safe locations to protect themselves from ” destructive winds”, storms and torrential rains. “This is an extremely dangerous situation.”
After making landfall, the hurricane gradually weakened from Category 4 to Category 1 on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale, with sustained winds of 90 miles per hour.
According to the website PowerOutage.us, more than two million homes and businesses were without power in Florida and Georgia as the tropical storm moved north.
Affects 55 million Americans
Weather officials issued a warning that affected more than 55 million Americans, especially due to tornadoes in northern Florida, Georgia and South and North Carolina.
The NHC also warned of heavy rains in some places and potentially deadly flooding, as well as mudslides in the southern Appalachians.
The National Weather Service announced that “this will be one of the most significant weather events to occur in the western parts of the region in modern times.”
Florida residents were warned of an “insurmountable” storm as images showed flooded homes and torrential rain.
Up to six meters
Helen has already brought heavy rain and authorities are concerned about the risk of flooding due to rising sea levels. In coastal locations, the rise in water levels can reach six meters, that is, the height of a two-story building.
It is a “no-survival scenario” and will be accompanied by “catastrophic” waves that could destroy homes and displace cars, warned Mike Brennan, director of the NHC.
US President Joe Biden appealed to residents to heed authorities’ “evacuation calls”.
On the coast near Tallahassee, many fled after boarding up the windows of their homes.
However, some decided to stay, like John Looper who did so in solidarity with his mother and brother. “They won’t go away,” he commented, adding that he regrets their choice.
Authorities in Taylor County, Florida, asked residents who did not want to leave to write their names in permanent marker on their bodies so they could be identified if they died.
In Crawfordville, a small town about 30 kilometers south of Tallahassee, Patrick Rijkert also decided to ignore the warnings.
“I’m going to stay here, I’m going to strengthen,” the 50-year-old man, who is with his grandchildren, told AFP. “I trust my faith and the fact that God will protect me.”
Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina will also suffer the effects of the hurricane.
In Florida, a state of emergency has been imposed on almost the entire state. Around 3,500 National Guard troops have been mobilized and 2,000 more have been placed on standby if needed, according to their commander.
Many airports, especially those in Tallahassee and Tampa, were closed.
The peculiarity of the Helen effect is that it is particularly widespread. Its size makes it “one of the largest hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico this century,” noted expert Michael Lowry.