'Worst I've ever seen': Helene's wrath leaves Steinhatchee resident in disbelief
Hurricane Helene left Steinhatchee resident Susie Grant in disbelief after returning to her flooded home Friday.
“I was in shock. This is the worst I’ve ever seen here,” Grant told NBC News, surveying damage to the home she’s lived in for 45 years. “I’m glad I left, but I’m glad I still have a house.”
She said her residence, built from the ground up by herself and her late husband, took six years to construct.
“Well, it’s got mud and all that, and everything’s been floating around, and it’s probably about 18 inches (of rain) in the house,” Grant said.
This is the second time she’s dealt with the aftermath of a hurricane.
In December, the bar she’s worked at for the past decade re-opened after being toppled by Hurricane Idalia, a Category 4 hurricane which struck the southeast and north Florida in August.
While happy to be back home, Grant said she has plenty of work to do.
“I’m gonna rebuild. That’s all I can do. I own this property here,” she said. “I can’t go anywhere else. I don’t have money to rebuild. And I love it here, too.”
Kathy Park reported from Steinhatchee, Florida, and Deon Hampton reported from Denver, Colorado.
Water crests at North Carolina dam, supports compromised as evacuations continue
Lake Lure Dam in Rutherford County, North Carolina, is currently holding even as water is cresting the dam, flowing around the side walls and structural supports have been compromised, the county’s emergency management office said in an update.
“Evacuations have occurred from the Dam to Island Creek Road. Evacuation sirens are sounding downstream of the dam,” the office said.
Emergency personnel are going house to house to ensure all citizens have been evacuated. Emergency shelter is available at R-S Central High School.
More than 50 people stranded on roof of Tennessee hospital
Helene inundated Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin, Tennessee, leaving more than 50 patients and staff members trapped on the roof amid rising floodwaters.
Alora Oler-Wyatt, the 911 director of Unicoi County, confirmed to NBC News that between 58 and 62 people were stranded on the roof as of 2 p.m. ET. The floodwaters were about 10 feet from the rooftop, she said.
The severe flooding in the area made it impossible for cars to pass on roads and swallowed up police cruisers and ambulances.
The National Guard and FEMA were responding; Tennessee Highway Patrol was sending a chopper.
Helene’s devastation stretches from Florida into the Carolinas
Hurricane Helene left a trail of destruction from Florida’s gulf coast into the mountains of North Carolina after coming ashore as a Category 4 storm. More than a dozen deaths have been confirmed and millions were left without electricity.
Over 2 dozen rescues conducted overnight in Tampa area
NBC News’ Melissa Parra joined the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office’s water rescue team in an amphibious vehicle in Tampa today.
Corporal Matthew Harper said at least two dozen people were rescued overnight, in some cases the locals clambered to their rooftops to avoid the rising storm surge. One of the rescued was a 97-year-old bedridden woman who they were able to help get safely to an ambulance and on to the hospital.
Hillsborough County lifted its evacuation order today, noting 1,574 evacuees took cover in six shelters in the county during Helene.
Flash flood emergency in effect for Atlanta
Tropical Storm Helene is pummeling Georgia after slamming Florida as a Category 4 Hurricane. NBC News’ Priya Sridhar is on the ground in Atlanta reporting on the latest storm damage. American Red Cross national spokesperson Evan Peterson joins José Díaz-Balart to discuss their recovery efforts.
Car crash during heavy rains in North Carolina kills 1 child, injures others
Two families' lives intersected in tragic circumstances yesterday when their cars crashed into each other on a rainy North Carolina road, killing one child and seriously injuring other children.
The fatal collision happened just after 8 a.m. ET in Catawba County when one vehicle crossed the centerline and collided head-on with the other, according to a statement from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. The statement said the crash happened during "heavy rain conditions" and that it claimed the life of a 4-year-old passenger.
Three other children who were in the cars were hospitalized: A 12-year-old with life-threatening injuries, a 2-year-old with life-threatening injuries and a 4-year-old with non-life-threatening injuries.
The drivers of both cars, Lyndsey Nicole Gaddis, of Catawba, and Tiffany Miner Sipe, 34, of Claremont, were also transported to the hospital, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. The statement said that the initial investigation indicates impairment was not a contributing factor in the collision but that charges were possible after the investigation is complete.
Catawba County is about an hour northwest of Charlotte, North Carolina. County officials said this morning that they had received multiple reports of downed trees, power lines, power outages and standing water from the storm throughout the area.
11 fatalities confirmed in Georgia
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said in a press conference that there are 11 confirmed fatalities in the state, and one of them was a first responder.
"One of our finest has lost his life trying to save others," Kemp said in a storm briefing.
He said there are still people trapped and rescues are still underway.
President Biden approves emergency declarations
President Joe Biden on Friday morning approved emergency declaration requests from the governors of several southern states affected by Helene.
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina will receive a variety of federal assistance from the government after the storm made landfall as highly destructive Category 4 hurricane.
Biden has also ordered more than 1,500 federal personnel to be deployed to the region, including search and rescue teams, medical teams and power restoration teams.
The president added he is praying for everyone affected by the storm, including those who lost their lives and the survivors who remain in harm’s way.
Federal Emergency Management Administrator Deanne Criswell briefed Biden on the initial impacts of Helene on Friday morning. Criswell will travel to Florida to survey the damage and meet with state and local officials.
Helene produced 15-foot storm surge in Big Bend region of Florida
Water levels reached more than 15 feet above ground in areas within the Big Bend region of Florida, according to preliminary storm surge information following Helene's landfall.
There will be a more detailed analysis of the storm surge in the coming weeks, the Storm Surge Unit at the National Hurricane Center said in a post on X.