Hurricane Helene ended up being one of the strongest and deadliest hurricanes to make landfall in the US since Hurricane Katrina. On Wednesday, September 25th, 2024, Helene was classified as a category 1 hurricane. On the very next day, it bulked up into a strong category 4 in under 24 hours. Not only did it leave a heavy impact on states like Florida and Georgia, it caused major damage up in the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia.
Asheville and Chimney Rock, located in North Carolina received the brunt of the storm in the Carolinas with Asheville alone getting about 14 inches of rainfall by September 27th. While Asheville received 14 inches of rain, other parts of North Carolina received over 2 feet. This left a greater impact on the state than the North Carolina flood of 1916 which included 2 hurricanes. At least 77 hurricane-related deaths have been reported by officials with 40 being in Asheville alone.
Nevertheless, Hurricane Helene left a devastating impact on almost the entire East Coast and into the mainland of the United States. Hurricane Milton is expected to leave a worse one. Today, October 9th, 2024, Hurricane Milton is approaching the West Coast of Florida in front of Tampa. It is currently a category 5 hurricane with a recent wind speed of 161 mph and its peak reaching 180 mph. Pressure is another way to measure the intensity of a storm aside from wind speed. The normal sea-level pressure is 1013.25 mb while Hurricane Milton bottomed out at 897 mb. The hurricane is projected to move East over Florida and dissipate in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Despite being one of the deadliest and most catastrophic hurricanes since Katrina, the people are staying strong. Locals are evacuated and better prepared for this storm than Helene. People from all over the country are sending their prayers and support to help people directly impacted by the storm through fundraisers, supply drives, and more.
Even though the storm will only impact Florida, it will leave a lasting impact on people up the coast, on the mainland, and everywhere else. A Green Level Junior’s family, Nikhil Peddibhotla, has property in Florida that will be directly impacted by the storm. “We’re currently renting out a house as an Airbnb, and because of Hurricane Milton, especially because it’s in Orlando, there’s a very high chance that the house will get completely flooded. Even though we live in North Carolina, there are still grave effects the storm will have and it will especially cost our family a lot of money,” Said Peddibhotla, “We also have a farmhouse down there and all of our crops are most likely going to be completely destroyed. It’s just going to be a major setback for our family, causing more economic stress. But, it just shows how hurricanes can affect people, even if they’re not living there.” From an economic standpoint, hurricanes like this can affect people everywhere.
But despite people losing houses and businesses being negatively impacted, the most important thing is that people stay safe. This storm is still a natural disaster that can impact families deeper than losing a house or a car. Those things can be replaced. Human lives can not. The people will stay strong and rebuild and hope for the best as they go through these disasters.
