US: Widespread disruptions ongoing across eastern and southeastern regions as of early Sept. 30 following the passage of hurricane

Widespread disruptions are ongoing across parts of the eastern and southeastern US following the passage of Hurricane Helene, as of Sept. 30. The storm system made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane near Perry in Florida's Big Bend region at around 11:10 EDT Sept. 26. The storm weakened into a tropical storm as it moved over Georgia Sept. 27, before slowing down and transitioning into a post-tropical cyclone over Tennessee and Kentucky Sept. 28-29. Intense winds and storm surge caused severe damage in the Big Bend region of Florida as the storm crossed the coast, and strong winds, tornadoes, and persistent rainfall continued to cause flooding and damage as the system moved inland. Some areas of North Carolina recorded rainfall totals of over 76 cm (30 inches) during the storm, winds gusting up to nearly 100 kph (62 mph) were felt in parts of Florida and Georgia, and storm surge rising to over 3 meters (10 feet) was observed at Cedar Key, Florida. Federal declarations of emergency have been approved across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Alabama.

As of Sept. 30, authorities have reported at least 116 fatalities associated with the storm: 46 in North Carolina, 27 in South Carolina, 25 in Georgia, 13 in Florida, 4 in Tennesee, and 1 in Virginia. One of the worst affected areas is Buncombe County, North Carolina, where at least 30 fatalities have been reported and hundreds of others are unaccounted for following the impacts of the storm. Evacuation orders were issued for dozens of counties in coastal areas of Florida as the storm approached and emergency services carried out thousands of rescue operations during the passing of the storm; as of Sept. 30, more than 2,000 people remain temporarily housed in evacuation shelters across parts of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

More than two million customers remain without power across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Ohio; down from a high of over four million early Sept. 27. Officials have issued boil water advisories for south Atlanta, Fairburn, South Fulton, Chattahoochee Hills, Palmetto, and Union City in west-central Georgia.

Many roads and bridges across the affected areas have been damaged or blocked by flooding and debris, leaving some areas cut off; over 400 roads in North Carolina alone have been affected. Thousands of flights have been canceled across the affected area in recent days due to the passing of the storm; although services are largely returning to normal as of Sept. 30, it may take some time for airlines to clear the backlog of passengers from the previous disruptions.

A combination of widespread communication outages, inaccessible areas due to blocked roads, and ongoing damage assessments will likely mean further reports of damage and casualties over the coming hours and days.

Protracted transport and business disruptions are almost certain as emergency crews continue recovery efforts; utility disruptions will probably occur over the coming days and weeks. Shortages of fuel and other essential goods are likely. Driving conditions may be difficult on rural routes and regional highways.