How Helene became the near-perfect storm to bring widespread destruction across the South

Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across a vast swath of the southeastern United States, from Tampa to Atlanta and up to Asheville, North Carolina, unleashing high winds, heavy rainfall, and widespread destruction.

The storm made landfall late Thursday along the largely undeveloped coast of Florida’s Big Bend, characterized by pine trees and salt marshes, but its effects were felt hundreds of miles away almost immediately. By Monday morning, at least 88 fatalities had been confirmed. In Tampa Bay, a massive storm surge flooded homes up to their attics, while Atlanta experienced over 11 inches of rain, marking the highest total for any 48-hour period in recorded history. South Carolina saw so many trees toppled that more than 40 percent of the state lost electricity at one point. In North Carolina, dams faced imminent failure, and entire communities were isolated by flooding. In Tennessee, floodwaters inundated a hospital so rapidly that over 50 patients had to be airlifted from the roof.

Dan Brown, a specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, noted that Hurricane Helene possessed all the characteristics that contribute to widespread devastation. The storm spanned approximately 350 miles (560 kilometers), boasted winds of 140 mph (225 kph) at landfall, produced heavy rains, and moved quickly, traveling north at speeds of up to 24 mph (39 kph) offshore and 30 mph (48 kph) inland.

Brown likened the extensive destruction caused by Helene to that of historic storms such as Hurricane Agnes in 1972, Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and Hurricane Ivan in 2004.