The death toll has climbed to 37 after Hurricane Helene, one of the most powerful storms to strike the United States, made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane before being downgraded to a tropical storm.
The hurricane, with wind gusts reaching 140 mph (225 km/h), caused widespread destruction across Florida and other southeastern states.
North Carolina emergency management officials confirmed the latest casualties and issued urgent evacuation warnings below the Lake Lure dam, which was feared to be on the verge of failure.
However, later updates indicated the dam was still holding, though its structural integrity remained compromised. Evacuations continued as a precaution.
Earlier in the day, authorities posted a dire warning on social media: “RESIDENTS BELOW THE LAKE LURE DAM NEED TO EVACUATE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY!! DAM FAILURE IMMINENT!!”
However, state officials later clarified that there was no immediate indication of dam failure.
As Helene moved inland, it left a trail of devastation. In Florida’s Big Bend region, the hurricane made landfall late Thursday night with 140 mph winds and a 15-foot storm surge, flooding homes up to their rooftops and causing widespread destruction.
Millions of people across Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia are currently without power.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed two deaths in the state, including a driver who was killed when a sign fell on his vehicle in Tampa. Five more fatalities were reported in Pinellas County.
In Georgia, 11 people lost their lives, including two killed in a trailer crash, while South Carolina reported at least 17 deaths, many caused by falling trees.
Death toll rises to 37 after hurricane Helene hits Florida