Hurricane Helene Shreds Through the Southeast U.S
By: Lisa Wang
On Thursday, Sept. 26, category 4 Hurricane Helene landed in the Big Bend area of Florida’s Gulf Coast, becoming one of the deadliest storms of the year. Entering with 140 mph of sustained wind, Helene started on its destructive path through 5 other states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia.
Currently, Helene has taken an estimated 200 lives and left nearly a million without running water, cell service, wifi, and power. Multiple major roads and highways remain closed while people desperately need supplies. Hundreds are still missing as rescue and recovery efforts are underway while record levels of flooding provide another layer of risk.
It is estimated that Hurricane Helene could cost the US government over $34 billion. This is following the damage costs of Hurricane Beryl, which left over $2.5 billion in wind damages alone in Texas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has sent over 1,500 staff members to support the search and rescue effort, while also providing 11.2 million liters of water, 150 generators, and 9.3 million meals to the regions of impact. The Biden-Harris administration has pledged $20 million to survivors. Harris just recently visited Georgia to comfort the people and “personally take a look at the devastation.”
Since the 1980’s, the severity and development of hurricanes has increased. Most notably, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that cyclone ferocity has “risen noticeably over the past 30 years”, and that “eight of the 10 most active years since 1950 have occurred since the mid-1990s.”
Although the root cause of the trend is still unknown, scientists believe that the effects of climate change and sea water warming could be increasing the frequency of category 4 and 5 hurricanes. Increasingly violent hurricanes are especially costly in damages and human life. It is important for coastal communities with high probability of facing a hurricane to develop resilient systems following the natural disasters.
Overshadowed by other current events, it is just as important for those not impacted to pitch in and help. Individual states impacted by Helene have started their own relief funds, including the Florida Disaster Fund, the North Carolina Disaster Fund, the Virginia Disaster Relief Fund, and the One SC Fund.
Other charities that are supplying relief include the American Red Cross, the Samaritans Purse, and World Central Kitchen. Each is providing shelter of some kind, reconnecting families, and the World Central Kitchen has set up multiple large capacity kitchens. FEMA has also provided multiple resources for people to volunteer or to donate to, including the National Voluntary Organization Active in Disaster.
During the uncertain time of recovery from Hurricane Helene, it is crucial for communities, including students, to unite and support those in need. For more information on ways to help or more updates on recovery efforts, visit USA.gov.
