Desperate Searches for Loved Ones Still Continue After Hurricane Helene

Helena is one of the deadliest in history. The devastation has been overwhelming and has impacted people across six states. Thousands have been displaced from their homes and loved ones; meanwhile, more than 160 people have lost their lives. As a result, people are frantically searching for their loved ones, including John Norwood, who hasn’t seen his fiancé since the pair sought shelter together in a neighbor’s home. 

Hurricane Helene’s Powerful Forces

“We looked outside and there was a 30-foot-tall wall of water and rocks and tree debris just coming at us,” Norwood told ABC News. As a result, the category 4 hurricane destroyed the home. “And we all got washed downriver,” Norwood added. Fortunately, Norwood was rescued, but his fiancé is still missing. A rescue team pulled Norwood and other survivors to safety using a pulley system, “ carrying him over rushing flood waters.” According to Norwood, a ceiling rafter crushed his leg. “I crawled around screaming, looking for her,” he said regarding his beloved fiancé‘s disappearance, “and I just couldn’t find her.”

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Several Missing Amid Hurricane Helene

Sadly, she is one of hundreds still unaccounted for in the chaos of Hurricane Helene. Several counties have declared a state of emergency including all 159 counties in Georgia. Meanwhile, North Carolina’s governor Roy Cooper is calling for an unprecedented response to an unprecedented event, well many of its citizens are without power, water, heat, or food.

Homeland Security is Searching

Homeland Security advisor Liz Sherwood Randall has announced that several hundred people are still missing or unaccounted for. “When I said there could be up to 600 people lost my point was, there 600 people unaccounted for,” she said in the press release update. “That’s the number we’re tracking right now and that we can essentially validate from multiple sources.” The department is working round the clock to help people locate their loved ones.

Hope Prevails

While several hundred people are still missing or unaccounted for, Sherwood Randall explained that they “remain hopeful” that some are just without power or cell reception. News of Hurricane Helene has been heartbreakingly sweeping the nation, and scientists have an idea of why the storm caused so much destruction. 

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Mayhem and Destruction

Hurricane Helena touched down on September 27th, 2024 in Perry, Florida, and had an estimated 500 miles of pathway, causing mayhem and destruction in more than six states. According to NOAA the hurricane is the most destructive to touch land off the Florida coast in history. Hurricane Helene brought torrential rains that followed two other severe rainstorms, impacting Georgia and North and South Carolina. “Rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Helene capped off three days of extreme, unrelenting precipitation,” the Climate Office of NC explained. Streamflows were already at record highs daily, and countless people like Norwood and his fiance witnessed severe mudslides.

Hurricane Helene Moves Inland

The powerful Hurricane Helene moved inland as far as the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, causing unexpected and irreparable damage to homes and businesses and “catastrophic flooding,” according to the Climate Office. Meanwhile, meteorologist Doug Outlaw explained that because the storm was forced over the mountain, it “squeeze(d) out more rainfall.” Moreover, Hurricane Helene “strengthened very quickly” in a process called “rapid intensification.” Consequently, Hurricane Helene went from a Category 1 storm to Category 4 in less than a day.

Cause of Power

Experts believe climate change also played a role in the severity of Hurricane Helene. Purportedly, the rainfall was 50% higher in some parts of Georgia and the Carolinas than previously recorded storms. Additionally, the water temperatures have been record-high in the Gulf, where Hurricane Helene intensified after forming in the Caribbean Sea.

Hurricane Helene Hits 6 States

Hurricane Helene caused damage in 6 states: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, with Georgia and the Carolinas seeing the most damage. People have lost their homes, their belongings, each other, and their cell phone service, and they are unable to communicate with the outside world. As such, people across the U.S. are concerned for the well-being of those they love, while relief funds are already set in place.

Getting Involved

For instance, the Red Cross and FEMA have a relief rund donation page, and the Salvation Army is taking food and clothing donations. Additionally, President Biden employed more than 1,000 active-duty soldiers to aid the relief fund in the National Guard.

The heartbreaking news of Hurricane Helene and the damage and fatalities it caused has become a part of history, highlighting the detrimental and unpredictable outcome of climate change. However, the country has come together to support the Southeastern states, which is a heartwarming testament to the compassion and kindness found in the world.

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