Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, emerged from the Gulf of Mexico, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The powerful hurricane ravaged southern states like Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Kentucky, plunging thousands into distress. As it tore through homes and neighborhoods, many Americans found themselves terrified and displaced. In popular towns and cities, roads were submerged, leaving residents trapped in their homes—whether those homes were still standing or destroyed.
Hurricane Helene’s death toll rises higher numbers with each passing day. According to the New York Times, over 200 casualties and counting have been reported in the past week. People on the news and social media have begun to compare Helene to Hurricane Katrina, which followed a similar path in August 2005 and caused widespread devastation across the United States.
The death count from Hurricane Helene continues to rise as relief responders continue to find the bodies of people who lost their lives. Many people across the U.S. have donated to help those in need while officials and responders continued to save the lives of as many people as they could find.
Hurricane Helene impacted several popular areas, including the Blue Ridge Mountains, which span multiple states such as North and South Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, and Tennessee. Due to the storm’s severe impact on North Carolina, there is a significant risk of landslides and erosion, and residents must now prepare for falling rocks and unstable terrain. Another notable area affected was the Appalachian Trail, a 2,220-mile route through the Southeast. The trail was devastated, with roads torn apart, the ground fractured and trees uprooted along the storm’s path.
Margeret Minnis, an environmental studies professor at the University, stated, “People who live in the mountains never expect to see such dramatic rainfall events; climate change is causing warmer oceans, more water evaporating, and rainfalls that surpass all previous rain events, not just on the East Coast of America, but all over the world. Environmental scientists have been predicting this for decades, but now, we see the phenomenon unfolding, and it seems to be worse than anyone predicted.”
Lilah McCormack is the chair for the Nature Club at the Pleasantville Campus, and her genuine concern is how climate change affected the area Helene hit, “You can see how strong these hurricanes are becoming and the impact climate change has had on hurricanes as well as natural disasters, these beautiful places and people’s homes are being ravaged left and right, I can’t imagine losing all of my belongings, my sympathy goes out to all of the people affected by this tragedy.”
McCormack also emphasized that climate change is worsening and that we must find a way to combat environmental disasters. She suggested battling intense weather conditions by implementing anti-flooding infrastructure to prevent widespread damage from future hurricanes.
In response to the disaster, officials swiftly mobilized to aid and support affected families. According to an official statement from The White House, FEMA provided essential assistance to civilians, including meals, tarps, and generators. The statement highlighted that “around 11.5 million meals have been sent out, and 12.6 million liters of water have been sent to struggling families, 45 Million dollars in individual assistance was available for survivors.” President Biden also addressed the situation on X (formerly Twitter), assuring, “To all of those affected by the hurricane, my Administration – and the nation – have your back.”
Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact across multiple states has prompted a robust disaster relief response from the United States government. Towns in Florida and areas west of North Carolina have been severely affected by power outages, making communication with loved ones nearly impossible for those in Helene’s path. Officials, politicians, and the federal government have continued to provide support to the southeastern states in addressing the damage. Despite these efforts, ongoing assistance remains crucial for disaster relief and recovery.