On Sept. 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall in northwestern Florida. According to NBC News, Helene resulted in the loss of over 230 lives and the devastation of communities, businesses, and residences throughout Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Hurricane Helene was a destructive cyclone known for its sudden intensification, fueled by the unusually warm waters in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, Helene escalated from scattered thunderstorms to a category four hurricane in just two days. Abnormal water temperatures, a symptom of climate change, allowed the storm to pick up more moisture and to release 40 trillion gallons of precipitation, according to AP News.
“I feel so badly for the people living in Florida whose houses have been destroyed. I also feel lucky to be living somewhere where hurricanes aren’t as common as they are in the south,” says freshman Eli Tessler.
Helene is considered the deadliest storm to strike the U.S. since Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, and damage caused by it has reached an estimated $47.5 billion, in economic terms, according to CNN.
As the storm neared Floridian coasts, it swept boats, beach sand, and debris inland. Storm surges flooded ground floors of coastal homes and businesses and tore buildings apart. From Sept. 26 to Sept. 29, Helene traveled for over 500 miles, leaving behind a path of devastation and destruction.
In Georgia, flooding wiped out roads, bridges, and power lines, leaving four million residents without electricity. At a hospital in eastern Tennessee, 54 patients were rescued off of the roof by helicopter. In western North Carolina, valley communities deep in the Appalachian mountains were isolated for over a week by the immense amounts of rain and debris being funneled into the valleys by the surrounding mountains. This region isn’t typically affected by hurricanes, so the infrastructure there is built for being bombarded by heavy winds and rain like many of the buildings in Florida and Georgia. These areas of North Carolina got almost three feet of rain in three days.
National Guard and municipal search-and-rescue teams have provided relief by boats, high-water vehicles, and aircrafts to help those stuck in their homes due to the flooding, mudslides, and debris. Still, weeks later, communities remain trapped and hundreds of thousands are left powerless, further impairing communication abilities with their families and first-responders trying to save them. Luckily, despite this devastation, several states affected by the hurricane have already begun to implement relief strategies, and inspiring stories of heroic rescue efforts have surfaced.
“My grandparents live in Boynton Beach, Florida, so luckily they only experienced rain and minor flooding and didn’t need to evacuate. After learning that global warming was a major influence on creating this strong of a hurricane, I feel strongly that we need to do our best to save our planet,” says freshman Emma Goldstein.
Hurricane Milton, another severe storm, struck Florida recently as well. Milton made landfall on Oct. 9 near Siesta Key, Florida, as a category three hurricane. The hurricane weakened as it traveled through Florida, turning into a post-tropical cyclone on Oct. 10. Many preparations and evacuations were made in expectation of Milton, especially since Florida was already damaged by Helene.
The storm weakened much more rapidly than expected. Due to better preparation, most areas were spared from the feared level of destruction. Still, Milton caused significant damage, with winds of up to 180 mph and serious flooding and storm surges in coastal areas.
“It must be really hard for the people in Florida who have had to repair all of the damage from Hurricane Helene and then be hit by another one right after. All of their work to rebuild their towns was ruined only a few weeks later. I also think that it emphasizes the impact global warming has had on our planet and reminds society that we need to take better care of our Earth, so natural disasters like this don’t happen,” says freshman Lauren Seide.
Officials are continuing to restore electrical power, clear and repair damaged roads, and help victims financially recover. The Red Cross and National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster are looking to provide aid to those struggling as a result of the storm, and are hoping to rebuild the damaged communities as soon as possible.