Hurricane Helene has left nearly 1 million people without power in South Carolina as of 12:30 p.m. ET, contributing to almost 2.5 million outages across the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, and Virginia. The storm caused heavy flooding, significant property damage estimated between $15 billion to $26 billion, and at least 61 fatalities. Power restoration efforts are actively ongoing, with expectations for electricity to be restored by Sunday night for many affected customers.
Hurricane Helene’s impact has disrupted the lives of nearly a million individuals in South Carolina, with an estimated 894,495 customers currently without power, making it the state with the most significant outages caused by the storm. The storm has also affected surrounding states, resulting in a total of approximately 2.5 million homes and businesses in the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, and Virginia lacking electricity. As Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 hurricane, it subsequently weakened into a tropical depression while traveling through the Southeast, leading to severe flooding and substantial property damage estimated between $15 billion to $26 billion. Live updates indicate ongoing recovery efforts, particularly in North Carolina, where the ramifications of the storm have been notably challenging. Duke Energy has reported that power restoration efforts commenced even before Helene exited the Carolinas, with expectations that electricity will be restored to those outside the western regions of the Carolinas by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday night, although many individuals may regain power sooner. The storm’s toll has been devastating, with at least 61 fatalities confirmed across the five states affected by Helene’s passage.
Hurricane Helene made landfall on Thursday morning in Florida, causing widespread disruption across several southeastern states. The storm’s severity, classified as a Category 4 hurricane upon landfall, resulted in substantial power outages and flooding. The record-high number of customers without power, particularly in South Carolina, underscores the extensive damage inflicted by the storm. Recovery efforts are ongoing, with power companies working diligently to restore electricity to affected areas as quickly as feasible.
In conclusion, Hurricane Helene has left a significant impact across the southeastern United States, particularly in South Carolina, where nearly one million customers are without power. The total outages across multiple states have reached nearly 2.5 million, highlighting the extensive damage caused by the storm. Recovery efforts are underway, with power companies optimistic about restoration timelines. The storm’s fatalities and financial toll further illustrate the human and economic costs of such natural disasters.
Original Source: www.usatoday.com
