Hurricane Helene, which rose to category 4, made landfall in Florida, USA, during the night of this Thursday, September 26, 2024 and the first death associated with said meteorological phenomenon in that state was reported.
>>>Hurricane Helene upgrades to Category 4 causing flooding and blackouts in the southeastern US.
The tragedy occurred in the city of Tampa, where A man, according to information provided by the authorities, dropped a traffic sign while driving on a highway.
Alert in more than 60 Florida counties due to Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Helene hit the Big Bend region with winds of 225 kilometers per hour and there is a warning in 61 of the 67 counties in the state of Florida.
On social networks, users have shared videos of the effects of the natural phenomenon.
What do authorities say?
“The ENTIRE coast of Florida’s Big Bend is at risk of potentially catastrophic storm surge,” the NHC warned on social media.
Airports in Tampa and Tallahassee have already closed, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged residents to rush final preparations ahead of the storm’s arrival.
Nearly a million homes and businesses were left without power, according to the PowerOutage.us website, which specializes in reporting blackouts.
“We expect storm surge flooding of between 4.5 and 6 meters above ground level“, warned the director of the NHC, Mike Brennan.
“That’s up to the top of the second floor of a building. Again, this part of the Florida coast is going to produce a scenario that has never been seen before.” The waves “can destroy houses, move cars, and the water level will rise very quickly”Brennan warned.
The NHC warned of up to 20 inches of rain in isolated inland spots and life-threatening flooding, as well as “numerous” landslides, in the southern Appalachians.
Several states are in the potential route and are already experiencing high winds and heavy rain. Flooding in cities around Tampa Bay left roads impassable, local media showed.
The risk of tornadoes was increasing in northern Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.
Most of Georgia, which like Florida is under a state of emergency, was put on flood alert, while Tennessee braced for tropical storm conditions across the state.
Hurricane Helene previously hit the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, where several tourist resorts are located.
If weather predictions are confirmed, Helene would become the most powerful hurricane to hit the United States in more than a year.
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Source: https://www.noticiascaracol.com/mundo/reportan-primera-muerte-asociada-a-huracan-helene-en-florida-estados-unidos-rg10
