Remembering Hurricane Helene one year later

CAPE CORAL, Fla. — This weekend marks the one year anniversary of Helene, the deadliest hurricane in the contiguous U.S. since Katrina in 2005. Helene claimed at least 250 lives, including 34 Floridians.

WATCH HOW THE STORM SURGE FLOODED THE AREA BELOW:

On September 26th, 2024, Hurricane Helene strengthened to a Category 3 in the eastern Gulf. Though its center stayed 200 miles west of Collier county and 140 miles from Charlotte county, the storm brought damaging storm surge to southwest Florida.

Storm surge of 3 to 6 feet was reported from Naples to Venice.

In Charlotte county, storm surge destroyed 8 homes and businesses. Over 1,900 structures sustained major damage, and over 750 homes and businesses reported minor damage.

In downtown Fort Myers, the water rose 5.12 feet, the highest since Ian at the time, causing $16.8 Million in damage in city limits. Peak winds ranged from 55 to 65 mph, with a maximum gust of 63 mph at Tarpon Point and Southwest Florida International Airport on September 26.

The gauge in Naples Bay recorded a storm surge of 4 feet, flooding local roads.

Storm surge continued up Florida's Gulf Coast. Storm surge of 8 to 12 feet occurred from south of Steinhatchee through Cedar Key, including Horseshoe Beach. Storm surge inundation of 5 to 7 feet occurred from the Anclote River southward to Longboat Key. In Pinellas County, deployed USGS water sensors located along exposed barrier islands measured water levels of 7.23 feet at Fred Howard Park, 6.75 feet in Clearwater Beach.

On the night of the 26th, Helene made landfall as a 140 mph Category 4 hurricane near Perry in the Big Bend, causing 12 to 16 feet of storm surge from Keaton Beach to Steinhatchee.

Helene's center continued northward through Georgia, where it produced wind gusts up to 100 mph in Bacon county, and a foot of rain in parts of Atlanta's metro area, leading to Flash Flood Emergencies. It then tracked northwest into Tennessee.

But the worst devastation was to the track's east in eastern Tennessee and western north Carolina, where another storm system had already produced up to 10 inches of rainfall, saturating the ground.

Factor in Helene's rain and 3-day rainfall totals reached 20 to 30 inches, totals that had less than a 1 in 1000 chance of occurring in any given year. The peak rainfall total was in Yancey county, where 30.78" fell in three days.

With the mountainous Appalachian terrain, a catastrophic flash flooding nightmare unfolded. 32 Flash Flood Emergencies were issued, as homes, businesses, bridges, roads, even a section of I-40, were washed away in the torrent.

Helene is the most devastating natural disaster in western North Carolina’s history, according to NOAA's Hurricane Helene report. More than 70,000 homes in the state were damaged and many weren't insured. Helene claimed 107 lives in North Carolina.

Helene caused an estimated $78.7 Billion in damage in the U.S., making Helene the 7th costliest hurricane behind Katrina, Harvey, Ian, Maria, Sandy, and Ida.