Storm Helene has apparently claimed more lives in the southeast of the USA. According to the US government, several hundred people may have died.
According to government estimates, Storm Helene may have claimed around 600 lives in the southeastern United States. “Up to 600 lives could be lost,” said the US president’s homeland security adviser, Liz Sherwood-Randall, in Washington on Monday. This is a high estimate, but there are currently no messages from 600 people.
On Monday afternoon there had already been talk of more than 100 people having died. The hardest hit at this time was North Carolina, where 39 deaths were recorded, according to local authorities. There were further deaths in the states of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia.
“Helene” initially reached Florida as a level four hurricane and then weakened to a storm. Despite weakening, it caused significant damage to homes, commercial buildings, roads and bridges. A flood alert was declared in North Carolina because dams were in danger of breaking.
There is a state of emergency in the affected states. Thousands of people had to seek refuge in emergency shelters. Around 2.2 million households are still without electricity.
Matt Targuagno from the Department of Energy said: “The work to restore power is complex and could take several more days.” The authorities are working tirelessly to find a remedy.
