Helene continues to slowly move across Tennessee
Helene continues to slowly move across the Tennessee Valley area, the National Hurricane Center said in its final update on the storm, adding that heavy rain was beginning to lessen.
The post-tropical cyclone is about 145 miles from Louisville, Kentucky, and is moving at 3 mph with maximum sustained winds of 15 mph. It is not expected to strengthen during the next 48 hours.
Several flood warnings and advisories remain in effect for portions of the southern and central Appalachians throughout the day. There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.
Historic North Carolina village under water after devastating damage from Helene
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — A historic village in western North Carolina is under water after bearing the brunt of devastating flooding damage from Hurricane Helene.
Tree branches, logs and a dumpster floated across Asheville’s Biltmore Village, renowned for being built and owned by a single individual.
Resident Tammy Borgesen was among the dozens of people standing outside a downtown hotel, one of the few places with Wi-Fi access, hoping to connect with loved ones.
“We’ve been trying to get an email or a text out to just let everybody know we’re ok,” said Borgesen, who had water but no power at her home.
She said she plans to wait out the storm and “hope for the best.”
“We’re in a weird limbo,” Borgesen said.
Most of 9 dead in Pinellas County, Florida, apparently drowned
The Pinellas County, Florida, sheriff today released the identities of nine people who died in Hurricane Helene, and most appeared to have drowned after water entered their home.
The dead ranged in age from 37 to 89. Eight of the nine were identified, while the name of the ninth was withheld pending next of kin notification.
The victims were identified as: Donna Fagersten, 66; Patricia Mikos, 80; Aiden Bowles, 71; Marjorie Havard, 79; Francis Wright, 71; Jerome Waite, 89; James Thompson, 55; Rachel Burch, 37.
Pinellas County is on the Gulf Coast and includes the cities of Clearwater and St. Petersburg. Florida's coast saw feet of storm surge as Hurricane Helene passed by in the Gulf before making landfall in the Big Bend Thursday.
More than 400 roads closed in North Carolina after Helene
Over 400 roads remained closed in North Carolina as of this morning, the state Department of Transportation said.
“All roads in Western NC should be considered closed,” the agency said in a post on X following damage from Helene.
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for North Carolina, which allows federal funding, FEMA said today.
There were landslides and more than 900,000 households statewide lost power due to the storm, Gov. Roy Cooper said Friday. Two people in the state died.
17 deaths in Georgia, governor says
Seventeen people, including children, died in Georgia due to Hurricane Helene, the governor said after viewing damage in Valdosta.
“From a statewide perspective this storm spared no one,” Gov. Brian Kemp said.
The dead include a 27-year-old mother and her twin 1-month-old boys who killed when a tree fell on their home in the city of Thomson, and a 7-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl who died after a tree fell on their home and after they were trapped inside the burning structure in Washington County, he said.
There were around 140 blockages on state routes Saturday, and that number is expected to go up, Kemp said. Around 1,100 people were in shelters across the state Friday, he said.
Kemp said that the economic damage from Hurricane Helene is expected to surpass that of Hurricane Michael, which struck in 2018.
Some homes are 'just rubble,' DeSantis says during visit to Dekle Beach
Helene packed a "really monumental storm surge," with some areas seeing more than 15 feet, when it slammed into Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis said.
The damage left behind has been disastrous. Across the state, there have been 11 storm-related deaths, the governor said.
"As you look around here, you see some homes that are now just rubble," the governor said at a news conference this morning while visiting Dekle Beach.
Rescue missions across the state's Gulf Coast are being conducted "to help bring people to safety," he told reporters. Thousands of missions have been completed.
Crews have cleared over 12,000 miles of roadway, the governor said, and over 1,4000 bridges have been inspected and reopened.
Hundreds of thousands of people remain without power. DeSantis said power has been restored for 1.49 million customers but 457,000 are still in the dark.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers donating to Helene relief efforts
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced they were donating $1 million to the Hurricane Helene relief effort.
Georgia governor and wife to tour hard hit city of Valdosta
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp will tour the Valdosta community today and meet with those heavily impacted by Helene.
Valdosta was one of the state's hardest hit areas. The governor said officials had identified 115 structures in the city that suffered extensive damage, NBC affiliate WXIA-TV of Atlanta reported.
They will join emergency response officials and local leaders after the tour for a news conference to provide updates on the state's ongoing response efforts.
Biden approves emergency declaration for Tennessee
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Tennessee after Helene caused catastrophic flooding.
Biden ordered federal assistance for state and local response efforts and authorized the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate disaster relief efforts.
Gov. Bil Lee on Friday signed an executive order to provide critical relief to victims of Helene and had requested a "Major Disaster Declaration" from FEMA.