The death toll from Hurricane Helene, which struck the southeastern United States last month, reached 215. This is the highest toll since Hurricane Katrina 19 years ago and is expected to increase further.
Local media, including the Associated Press, reported on Thursday that the cumulative death toll related to Helene stands at 215. Over the past 50 years, the deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland was Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which claimed 1,392 lives.
About half of the deaths from Helene occurred in North Carolina, and dozens of fatalities were reported in South Carolina and Georgia. Helene began as a tropical storm in the western Caribbean on September 24th and landed in Florida on the night of the September 26th. At landfall, it was classified as a Category 4 hurricane on the U.S. scale of 1 to 5, the second strongest category, with wind speeds reaching 225 km/h (140mph).
After making landfall in Florida, Helene moved north, impacting North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Virginia before dissipating on September 29th.
Most of the fatalities were caused by falling trees onto vehicles and houses, as well as flooding. In Asheville, a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, at least 72 deaths were reported, and officials have not yet released an official count of the missing. The local sheriff’s office reported that at least 200 people are missing in Buncombe County, indicating that the death toll could rise further.
President Joe Biden visited hurricane-affected areas in Florida and Georgia on Wednesday and Thursday to console the victims’ families and promised swift recovery assistance for the displaced. The White House stated on Monday that Biden “did exactly what he needed to do as president” during the crisis.
