Hurricane Helene and the Climate Crisis: Unprecedented Flooding, Deadly Storms, and the Fallout of Extreme Weather
How record-breaking hurricanes, unprecedented flooding, and signal a turning point in the climate crisis.
Disclaimer: This article addresses the ongoing developments surrounding Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. As this is a rapidly evolving situation, the information presented may change after the publication date.
The southeastern and Appalachian regions of U.S. have been deeply impacted by the effects of Hurricane Helene, with devastation reported in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee.
With more than 230 people killed as a result of Helene, it has become the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
While states are still reeling from the effects of Helene, another storm, Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida’s Tampa Bay region on Wednesday as a Category 4 hurricane. With Milton, it will be the first time in over a century that the Tampa Bay region has faced a direct hit by a hurricane.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued evacuation orders for more than 50 counties and urged residents to take the evacuation orders seriously in a press conference.
“Time is going to start running out very, very soon,” said DeSantis.
The devastation caused by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton has amplified the climate change crisis. Scientists estimate that increased rainfall during Helene was influenced by climate change, signaling a turning point in how society responds to natural disasters.
Unprecedented: Flooding in Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina, faced significant damage from Helene. The city, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, sustained significant damage following the hurricane, with floodwaters and torrential rain making travel impossible.
Asheville is 400 miles away from where the storm initially made landfall in Florida.
The devastation across mountainous western North Carolina was exacerbated by a severe rainstorm that occurred days before Helene reached the Blue Ridge Mountains. The extent of the damage surprised many, as Asheville was referred to as a “climate haven” due to its protection from coastal sea rise and extreme temperatures.
In an interview with NBC News, Shel Winkley, a meteorologist from Climate Central, explained how climate change influenced Helene’s impact.
“Climate change hits different communities in different ways, and so while mountainous areas may have been a haven from extreme temperatures, as we found out, they’re not necessarily a haven from the potential for devastating flooding,” said Winkley.
According to a report from Climate Central, the risks of inland flooding have increased due to lengthening droughts, intense downpour, and earlier snow-melt in cooler regions. Storms have intensified due to climate change, as higher ocean temperatures act as fuel, and a warmer atmosphere allows for heavier rainfall. This enhances the water cycle, as there is 4% more water vapor for every 1-degree Fahrenheit of warming.
"When you get a really extreme rainfall in mountainous regions, you see flooding, you see the potential for landslides. You see a lot more road washouts than you might in a coastal area with the same kind of storm. That's that elevation component. The topography component really adds to the severity of the flooding that that people experience," said Antonia Sebastian, a professor at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, in an interview with ABC News.
Helene produced more than 30 inches of rain in North Carolina, leading to the largest local flooding in history. Eighty-four people were killed in the state, including 40 in Buncombe County, where Asheville is located.
Hurricane Helene: Deadliest Storm Since Katrina
Hurricane Helene became the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which killed more than 1,800 people and devastated New Orleans.
In the week since Helene stuck the southeastern U.S, thousands remain without power as the infrastructure has completely collapsed, leaving many stranded in their homes and awaiting rescue.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have visited affected states to assess the damage, Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump also visited impacted states.
However, disinformation spread by Trump surrounding the recovery efforts included a rumor that funding meant for relief efforts was used for undocumented immigrants.
“A lot of the money that was supposed to go to Georgia and supposed to go to North Carolina and all of the others is going and has gone already, it’s been gone for people that came into the country illegally, and nobody has ever seen anything like that. That's a shame,” Trump said at an event in Georgia on Friday.
This came after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said during a press conference last Wednesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) did not have enough funding for the rest of the hurricane season.
“We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have. We are expecting another hurricane hitting, FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season,” said Mayorkas.
Following Trump’s claim, FEMA responded with a fact-check page and said they’ve given $45 million to communities affected by Hurricane Helene.
More than 3,000 National Guard members have been deployed to assist in providing basic medical care, participating in search and rescue efforts and distributing supplies.
The Strengthening of Hurricane Milton
While the southeast is still recovering from Helene, Florida is bracing for another hurricane set to hit the Tampa Bay region this week. The region, which is populated by more than 3 million people, will be directly hit by Milton, becoming the first time since 1921 that Tampa Bay is directly impacted by a hurricane.
Milton has been downgraded to a Category 4, but officials warn that it could be upgraded if sustained speeds reach over 157 mph.
In a statement released Tuesday morning by the National Hurricane Center, warnings were issued for residents noting that the hurricane “has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida.”
Hurricane watches are in effect for the Florida Gulf Coast and is expected to bring 5 to 12 inches of rain, with total rainfall up to 18 inches across parts of the Florida Peninsula and the Keys throughout Wednesday night.
According to reports by the Associated Press, Milton has the potential to kickstart the biggest range of evacuation orders in the state since 2017 – when 7 million people were urged to evacuate if possible. Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located, ordered evacuations for areas near the bay Tuesday night. Other areas, such as Fort Meyers ordered mandatory evacuations for the island of Fort Meyers Beach.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that the state has been working to remove wreckage from Helene before Milton arrives to reduce the risk of flying debris. The state also deployed over 300 trucks that have removed over 1,200 pounds of debris.
“You do not have to get on the interstate and go far away, you can evacuate tens of miles. You do not have to evacuate hundreds of miles away. You do have options,” said DeSantis during a press conference.
The devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, coupled with the looming threat of Hurricane Milton, serves as an indicator of the escalating climate crisis. The unprecedented flooding and storm damage across the southeastern U.S. highlight the immediate need for improved disaster preparedness and response strategies. Scientists emphasize that more frequent and intense storms are a result of climate change, prompting communities to adapt to future natural disasters.
As the recovery efforts continue and attention shifts to Milton, it's clear that understanding and addressing the implications of climate change is essential for safeguarding lives and infrastructure in increasingly vulnerable regions. The experiences from these storms can inform future policies and practices aimed at mitigating the impacts of extreme weather events.