Nearly two years after Hurricane Helene devastated parts of Georgia and North Carolina, forecasters still describe it as unlike anything they had ever seen or experienced. FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross explains what allowed Hurricane Helene to push so far inland and remain powerful for so long.
THE TAKEAWAY
- Human remains believed to belong to a Hurricane Helen victim have been recovered.
- It comes nearly two years after the hurricane caused devastating destruction in the Southeast.
- Hurricane Helene made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 storm.
WASHOE COUNTY, Tennessee – Police in Tennessee have discovered human remains that they believe belong to a Hurricane Helene victim.
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office said they are investigating a scene in the Jackson Island area after human remains were found by debris removal specialists.
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The remains are believed to be from a victim of the Hurricane Helene flood, which impacted Tennessee nearly two years ago.
A car in a flooded street is seen after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 27, 2024. Hurricane Helene weakened on September 27 hours after it made landfall in the US state of Florida, with officials warning the storm remained “extremely dangerous” as it surged inland, leaving flooded roads and homes in its wake. (Photo by Richard PIERRIN / AFP) (Photo by RICHARD PIERRIN/AFP via Getty Images)
The impacts of Hurricane Helene hit Tennessee on Sept. 27, 2024. A major disaster declaration was declared shortly after to allow counties most impacted by the flooding to receive federal disaster assistance.
The Category 4 hurricane made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region with estimated sustained winds of 140 mph.
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Philip Jackson, Public Information Officer for the North Carolina Forest Service, joins FOX Weather to discuss how North Carolina continues to recover from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene. The historic storm dramatically reshaped the state’s landscape, causing widespread damage to forests, communities, and infrastructure. Jackson highlights ongoing recovery efforts and the long-term challenges facing the Tar Heel State in Helene’s aftermath.
Post landfall, the hurricane quickly weakened, but its torrential rains and gusty winds continued hundreds of miles inland, with feet of rain being reported over the Appalachians.
Tennessee’s Nolichucky River flooded its banks as a result of excessive rain from the remnants of Hurricane Helene — leaving towns and communities scrambling to seek shelter from swift floodwaters, East Tennessee State University said.
A pick-up truck is seen in a muddy stream in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Burnsville, North Carolina, on October 5, 2024.
(Allison Joyce / AFP / Getty Images)
Helene is responsible for at least 250 fatalities in the United States (including at least 175 direct deaths), making it the deadliest hurricane since Katrina in 2005, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA.
Authorities said the remains were taken to the medical examiner for further investigation.
