Storm Helene Downgraded to Tropical Storm: States Face Severe Aftermath
The storm Helene, which wreaked havoc across the southeastern United States, has officially been downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm, as reported by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) on social media platform X. Earlier this morning, the storm's strength diminished from a category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale to a category 1.
Currently situated approximately 165 kilometers southeast of Atlanta, Georgia, Helene is characterized by wind gusts reaching up to 110 kilometers per hour, according to Reuters. The devastating effects of the hurricane have already been felt, with reports confirming four fatalities across affected states including Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. In North Carolina, a tragic incident resulted in one death and another injury when a tree fell on a residence, as detailed by local emergency management services and reported by ABC News.
Helene is causing significant flooding, particularly in North Carolina, where heavy rains have led to up to half a meter of rainfall in certain areas. Emergency services in Haywood County, western North Carolina, have reported numerous road closures, ongoing evacuations, and flooded homes. As of Friday morning, approximately two million households across four states are without power, as monitored by various websites tracking outages in the USA, according to ABC News.
Despite the downgrade, NHC warns that the storm remains dangerous. They stress that this is an extremely perilous situation and urge residents to remain in their shelters until the life-threatening conditions subside. Helene is now noted as one of the largest storms ever recorded along the Gold Coast of the USA. Since 1988, only two storms have been registered with a greater diameter: Opal in 1995 and Irma in 2017.
The Washington Post notes that Helene spans a remarkable 675 kilometers in diameter. The storm first made landfall in northwest Florida around 11:10 PM Thursday night, boasting wind speeds exceeding 63 meters per second. To classify as a hurricane, a storm must exhibit wind speeds over 32 meters per second. As a cautionary measure, a tornado warning has been issued over vast regions of Florida, southeastern Georgia, and both North and South Carolina. This coastal crisis places more than 55 million residents in jeopardy from the consequences of what is now a tropical storm.
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