Hurricane Helene Remnants Hit Kentucky As At Least 41 Dead In Its Wake—Here’s What To Know

Topline

The remnants of Hurricane Helene have moved far inland since making landfall in Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 storm on Thursday, moving through Tennessee and progressing into Kentucky on Friday while bringing "historic and catastrophic flooding" to the southern Appalachians.

Key Facts

The center of Helene, which became post-tropical Friday afternoon, was located about 50 miles south-southeast of Louisville, Kentucky, as of 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, the National Hurricane Center said, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph.

Heavy rain is falling over portions of the central and southern Appalachians and the region can expect total rain accumulations of 6 to 12 inches, with isolated totals around 20 inches.

Flash flood emergencies are in effect for about 1.1 million people in upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina, as well as parts of Virginia and Tennessee, according to CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller, who noted rivers in the areas can continue to rise due to the flow of rainfall.

Tornadoes are possible Friday evening across southern Virginia and northeast North Carolina, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered in Asheville and McDowell counties in North Carolina as rivers and reservoirs are expected to swell from heavy rainfall, and multiple schools in Kentucky and Indiana were closed Friday as winds and heavy rain pelt the region.

Helene is expected to stall over the Tennessee Valley tonight and through the weekend.

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Key Background

Hurricane Helene made landfall at around 11:10 p.m. EDT on Thursday near the city of Perry in Florida’s Big Bend area. The storm moved through Florida and Georgia before heading north. At least 41 people have died across four states, according to The New York Times, including two firefighters in South Carolina.

Has Hurricane Helene Caused Power Outages?

More than 4 million people are without power across the Southeast. Almost 2 million people across North and South Carolina are without electricity, as well as 900,000 in Georgia and another 676,000 in Florida, according to PowerOutage.US numbers as of 6 p.m. EDT. More than 300,000 people are experiencing power outages in each Tennessee and Kentucky, in addition to 231,000 people in Virginia, 87,000 in West Virginia and 306,000 in Ohio.

Is North Carolina's Lake Lure Dam Going To Fail?

Officials have said failure of the dam, about 35 miles southeast of Ashville, is “imminent” and have urged any residents to evacuate and seek higher ground. The Rutherford County Emergency Management agency has reported "catastrophic” water flow in the area. Lake Lure is a small town built around the lake and is best known as the home to Lake Lure Inn, where the cast and crew of the 1987 "Dirty Dancing" movie staying during filming.

Is Helene Impacting Airlines?

The Tampa International Airport closed to the public at 2 a.m. EDT Thursday in anticipation of Hurricane Helene but resumed operations Friday morning. The storm didn’t cause any significant damage to the airport. Hundreds of flights have been either canceled or delayed due to the storm, impacting airports like Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport and Asheville Regional Airport, according to FlightAware.

Tangent

Helene is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season and comes weeks after Francine made landfall as a Category 2 in Louisiana on Sept. 11. Forecasters this year predicted the busiest storm season (from June 1 to Nov. 30) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has ever forecasted—up to 25 named storms and 13 hurricanes—but the season hasn't been as active as predicted so far.

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