Helene pummels US South with worst flooding in a century

The U.S. South experienced some of its worst flooding in more than 100 years as the remnants of Hurricane Helene dragged across the region, killing at least 52 people, knocking out power to millions, stressing dams and leaving behind potential losses of more than $100 billion.

Busick, North Carolina, saw 29.59 inches of rainfall — the current maximum recorded anywhere — but a larger area across Georgia and South Carolina got anywhere from 11 inches to 14 inches, Brian Hurley, a senior branch forecaster with the U.S. Weather Prediction Center, said in an interview.

The remnants of Helene, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm in Florida, were about 135 miles west-southwest of Louisville, Kentucky, early Saturday and being absorbed into a larger weather pattern.

It has been over 100 years since the region was hit by flooding this severe, Hurley said. “For some of those areas you have to go back, no doubt, over 100 years, for some it could be into the 300-year range.”

Little additional rain is forecast, which will allow rescuers to save residents and give rivers, streams and dams a chance to slowly recover from the storm, which came ashore in the Big Bend area of Florida late Thursday. What rain did fall, however, continues to stress the system so flood warnings and watches persist. Kentucky and Tennessee are currently experiencing the worst showers.

Helene is the deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland since Ian struck Florida in 2022, killing at least 150 and causing $122 billion in damages and losses. Across the South, as many as 52 people have been killed by Helene, the Associated Press reported.

From Indiana to Florida, more than 3.8 million customers are without power with South Carolina accounting for about 28%, according to PowerOutage.us.

In addition, the storm may be one of the costliest. Flooding and destruction wrought by Helene may total between $95 billion to $110 billion, commercial forecaster AccuWeather Inc. estimated, which would easily place it among the top five worst hurricanes to hit the U.S.

President Joe Biden on Saturday approved an emergency declaration for Tennessee, having done so earlier in the week for South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Widespread damages have been reported, with water flowing through the streets of many cities and towns, snarling transportation. Parts of Interstate 40, a major east-west highway, has been washed out.

“All roads in Western N.C. should be considered closed,” the state’s department of transportation said on its website. “Unless you are seeking higher ground, motorists should not travel in this area.”

Lake Lure dam in North Carolina, where scenes from "Dirty Dancing" were filmed, was overtopped and officials feared it might fail. Residents living on streets below the dam have been ordered to leave their homes and shelters have been set up nearby, according to the town’s website.

Many other dams throughout the region are also under stress. Officials in eastern Tennessee ordered evacuations near the Nolichucky Dam, which was at risk of a breach early Saturday morning. Water levels finally peaked at eight feet above record height and have begun to recede, said Elisabeth Thompson, a senior strategic consultant for the Tennessee Valley Authority.

“The Nolichucky Dam is intact,” Thompson said, “so there was no failure, and our dam safety teams are discussing next steps.”

Advisories and flash-flood warnings are still widespread throughout the South as rivers swell from the recent extreme rains.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Joyce and Hurricane Isaac are churning in the central Atlantic and currently aren’t a threat to land. There are two more storms that may develop next week, one near Cabo Verde off Africa and another in the Western Caribbean close to where Helene originated.