Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas survive Helene’s wrath after the hurricane made landfall on Thursday, September 26, 2024 as the strongest hurricane on record to slam into Florida’s Big Bend region. The hurricane, which sustained maximum winds of 140 mph, killed at least 93 people, leaving millions without power and trapping families in floodwaters.
At least 17 people died in Georgia. Two people were killed by a tornado in Alamo, Georgia (in Wheeler County). Among the other people who died in Georgia were a mother and her one-month-old twin boys (in McDuffie County) due to a tornado overturning their mobile home, a 7-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl, and a 58-year-old man. Some were killed by fallen trees.
Approximately 2.4 million customers were left in the dark in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Virginia. Flooding and debris hindered access to damaged buildings, roads and downed lines. The storms that came along with Helene dumped about fourteen inches of rain on Georgia.
Georgia Governor Kemp issued a state of emergency. The coast of Georgia was placed under tropical storm warnings while most of the state was under a hurricane warning and extreme wind warning.
In Atlanta, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued the city’s first ever flash flood emergency due to Atlanta having its heaviest three-day rainfall totals in 104 years.
Organizations that can assist victims of the hurricane include: the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Georgia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (GAVOAD), and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Region 4 of FEMA serves Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Last updated on September 30, 2024
