Late Thursday, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm before creating a trail of destruction across large swaths of the southeastern U.S.
In the days following, the latest reports say the storm killed at least 121 people across six states, with the Carolinas experiencing the most fatalities and reporting hundreds still unaccounted for, according to the Associated Press on Monday.
Meanwhile, millions remain without power, and AccuWeather estimates that Helene has caused economic damages of at least $145 billion. What's more, much of the worst damage has happened to an area once considered a "climate haven," thought to be safer from such storms as a result of being farther inland.
Catastrophic damage across the Carolinas
The southeastern U.S. is no stranger to strong storms, but Hurricane Helene has already smashed historical records, starting when it became the most powerful storm to ever hit Florida's Big Bend region. Once the storm reached the Carolinas, extreme flooding, landslides, and mudslides followed, with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper describing Helene's impact in a press statement as "catastrophic devastation … of historic proportions."
On social media, many area residents shared their complete shock at the extent of the damage to parts of the state thought to be safe from massive rain and flooding, more accustomed to dealing with droughts than hurricanes.
Didn't realize how many folks have no idea where Asheville and these other underwater towns are.
— Vic 🌮 (@VicVijayakumar) September 29, 2024
I'm in Raleigh- 2hrs inland. Asheville is 4hrs west of me, up in the blue ridge mountains. It was unthinkable that a hurricane could wipe out towns this far inland & high up. https://t.co/Or2F2oTrKg pic.twitter.com/7FhBaFl6xD
never in my life have we been affected by a hurricane like this. we used to flee TO the upstate when hurricanes hit Charleston.
— jon 🪩✨ (@jon_speaks_) September 28, 2024
i remember friends fleeing TO Atlanta. TO Asheville. TO Greenville. TO Sevierville.
Ryan Cole, who serves as the assistant emergency services director in North Carolina's Buncombe County, told ABC11 that "this is the most significant natural disaster that any one of us has ever seen in western North Carolina."
Asheville, western North Carolina's biggest urban area, has experienced extensive infrastructure damage. One area in western North Carolina, Busick, saw nearly 30 inches of rain from the storm.
How did Helene cause so much damage in the inland US?
Before Helene reached the inland U.S., meteorologists at the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration noted a "band of moisture ahead of" the storm, which atmospheric scientists describe as a "predecessor event." These predecessor events bring huge amounts of rain and wind even before the storms hit.
But beyond the predecessor event, Helene rapidly intensified into a more powerful storm before making landfall. Storms that see wind speeds increase by at least 35 mph within a day can be described as rapidly intensifying. Hurricanes like Helene are getting "supercharged" by the warming waters in the Gulf of Mexico, which act as hurricane fuel, adding power and moisture to the mix, leading to stronger rains and worse flooding and damage. Rapid intensification also can leave states less prepared to deal with dangerous storms.
The administrator of FEMA, Deanne Criswell, explained these phenomena to CBS, saying, "This storm took a while to develop, but once it did, it intensified very rapidly and that's because of the warm waters in the Gulf."
Bernadette Woods Placky, Climate Central's chief meteorologist, similarly explained to The Cool Down that, "the very warm Gulf of Mexico water where Helene rapidly intensified was made 300-500 times more likely because of climate change."
Placky went on to explain that "one of the reasons that people have never seen rainfall like this before is because our atmosphere has never been this warm before ... and until we get a handle on climate change, our storms will only continue to break new records, devastating more communities."
And while it is true that rapid intensification isn't extremely rare, scientists are concluding that our warming climate, fueled by pollution from dirty energy sources, is making rapid intensification events more common and hazardous.
What's being done about extreme weather like Helene?
Despite the strengthening and increased frequency of large storms like Helene, people, organizations, and governments around the world are taking steps to fight the overheating of our planet and the extreme weather events that result.
One company, Savannah Trims, is designing infrastructure to help buildings better withstand damage from floods. Another, Ichijo Co., has designed entire buildings that can float during flood events.
Beyond protecting buildings, there are countless efforts to better predict when and where extreme weather will occur. The state of South Carolina is developing "smart reefs" that can help scientists more quickly and accurately predict storm surges and sea level rise. Artificial intelligence is also being used, like FloodVision, which visualizes how your area could be impacted by flood waters.
While ensuring that we are prepared for extreme weather is critical, it's also critical that we all take steps to prevent the planet's overheating in the first place. One of the best ways to start is by further educating ourselves about climate change and the many factors that can contribute to it, along with speaking up and raising awareness among friends, family, and neighbors — and also taking action in your community.
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