Tropical Storm Archives - Page 4 of 7

Hurricane Milton is a Category 5. Florida orders evacuations and scrambles to clear Helene’s debris

BELLEAIR BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Milton has become a Category 5 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico on a path toward Florida’s west coast. Milton’s growth Monday sets the stage for a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay and potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline. Milton’s center could come ashore Wednesday in the Tampa area, and it could remain a hurricane as it moves across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean. It is threatening Florida less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene caused deaths and catastrophic damage in that state and well inland.… Continue Reading

Voters in North Carolina and Georgia have bigger problems than politics. Helene changed everything

VILAS, N.C. (AP) — Residents in North Carolina’s Watauga County are focused on survival rather than politics after Hurricane Helene ravaged much of the western part of the state. The storm and the destruction that followed came only weeks before the president election. And North Carolina is one of the most important swing states. But the race between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris has taken a back seat as North Carolinians try to find loved ones who are missing and try to rebuild their homes and their lives. That hasn’t stopped the candidates from making frequent stops in North Carolina and neighboring Georgia in the storm’s aftermath.… Continue Reading

Tropical Storm Milton forms in Gulf of Mexico and could intensify to hurricane threatening Florida

MIAMI (AP) — Forecasters say Tropical Storm Milton has formed in the Gulf of Mexico. The National Hurricane Center said early Sunday that Milton was about 355 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and about 845 miles west-southwest of Tampa, Florida. The storm could strengthen into a hurricane and bring the risk of life-threatening impacts to portions of the western coast of Florida. Hurricane and storm surge watches are likely to be issued Sunday. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in 35 counties ahead of the storm’s potential landfall. Many counties are still recovering from Hurricane Helene and DeSantis has asked Florida state agencies to supplement communities as they expedite debris removal.… Continue Reading

Red Cross deploys more than 600 volunteers to aid disaster relief in western North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — As the aftermath of devastating flooding from Hurricane Helene continues to affect western North Carolina, more than 600 volunteers from across the country have mobilized to provide critical disaster relief. Heather Frazee, Executive Director of the American Red Cross’ Piedmont Triad Chapter, recently told Carolina Newsmakers host Don Curtis that the immediate focus of the relief operations is providing shelter, food, and basic necessities to those displaced by the flooding. Frazee also noted the challenging terrain in the mountains, compounded by road closures and dangerous conditions, which has made rescue and relief efforts more complex.… Continue Reading

Mexican immigrant families plagued by grief, questions after plant workers swept away by Helene

ERWIN, Tenn. (AP) — Hurricane Helene left a devastating mark on the small Latino community that makes up a disproportionate number of workers at a plastics factory in Erwin, Tennessee. Six of its workers were swept away, four of them Mexican Americans. Loved ones and supporters have been gathering for vigils in front of churches, a high school and a grocery store to honor those lost. They question why Impact Plastics workers weren’t told to leave the job sooner. Company President Gerald O’Connor says no employees were forced to keep working. He says they were evacuated at least 45 minutes before the massive force of the flood hit the industrial park.… Continue Reading

Death toll from Hurricane Helene rises to 227 as grim task of recovering bodies continues

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The death toll from Hurricane Helene has inched up to 227 as the grim task of recovering bodies continues more than a week after the monster storm ravaged the U.S. Southeast. Helene came ashore Sept. 26 as a Category 4 hurricane and carved a wide swath of destruction as it moved northward from Florida. It destroyed homes, washed away roads and knocked out electricity and cellphone service for millions. The death toll could rise even higher. It is not clear how many people are unaccounted for or missing. Helene is the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. since Katrina in 2005.… Continue Reading

Harris pledges ongoing federal support as she visits North Carolina to survey Helene’s aftermath

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris has pledged ongoing federal support for those affected by Hurricane Helene as she visited North Carolina. The Democratic presidential nominee met with state and local officials Saturday in Charlotte, where she praised the work of strangers helping strangers. She also helped pack aid kits and met with volunteers, calling them “heroes among us.” It was her second trip in four days to the disaster zone. Republican nominee Donald Trump was in the state a day earlier, and has been spreading false claims about the federal response to the disaster. But Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper says that federal officials have been on the ground in the state helping “since the very beginning.”… Continue Reading

Homeowners hit by Hurricane Helene face the grim task of rebuilding without flood insurance

A week after Hurricane Helene overwhelmed the Southeastern U.S., homeowners hit the hardest are grappling with how they could possibly pay for the flood damage from one of the deadliest storms in recent history to hit the mainland. The Category 4 storm that first struck Florida’s Gulf Cost on September 26 has dumped trillions of gallons of water across several states, leaving a catastrophic trail of destruction that spans hundreds of miles inland. Insurance professionals and experts have long warned that home insurance typically does not cover flood damage to the home. But most private insurance companies don’t carry flood insurance, leaving the National Flood Insurance Program run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as the primary provider for that coverage for residential homes.… Continue Reading

Inside the North Carolina mountain town that Hurricane Helene nearly wiped off the map

CHIMNEY ROCK VILLAGE, N.C. (AP) — Nearly 400 miles from where Hurricane Helene made landfall, the North Carolina mountain hamlet of Chimney Rock Village has been all but wiped off the map. The backs of restaurants and gift shops that boasted riverfront balconies dangle ominously in mid-air. The Hickory Nut Brewery, opened when Rutherford County went “wet” and allowed alcohol sales about a decade ago, collapsed nearly a week after the storm. The buildings across Main Street are choked with several feet of reddish-brown muck. A resident who served in the Iraq war said it reminded him of a combat zone.… Continue Reading

After the deluge, the lies: Misinformation and hoaxes about Helene cloud the recovery

WASHINGTON (AP) — False and misleading claims about Hurricane Helene are spreading about the storm and recovery efforts. And that’s forcing public officials in hard-hit areas to set the record straight. Donald Trump and others have spread claims suggesting officials are withholding assistance from Republican storm victims. Other conspiracy theories claim federal officials used weather control technology to steer the storm toward Republican areas. Local and state officials in North Carolina and other states say the conspiracy theories are increasing mistrust and authorities to take time away from recovery efforts.… Continue Reading