Hurricane Helene power outages leave over 4 million in the dark – history shows poorer areas often wait longest for electricity to be restored
The ConversationSEP 25 2024
Dozens Dead Across Southeast After Hurricane Helene's Landfall in Florida
Above: A road is empty of traffic as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on September 26, 2024, in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Image copyright: Joe Raedle/Staff/Getty Images
The Facts
At least 37 storm-related deaths have been confirmed across multiple Southeastern US states in the path of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall near Perry, Fla., as a Category 4 storm on Thursday night.
According to state and county authorities, the death toll from the storm includes 17 fatalities in South Carolina, 11 in Georgia, seven in Florida, and two in North Carolina.
With maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph), Helene was the seventh most powerful on record to hit the Sunshine State — and the 14th anywhere in the US.
The Spin
Narrative A
Climate change has made weather events from rains and storms to droughts and wildfires more extreme and common, and the deadly Hurricane Helene must serve as an alert. Leaders must take action soon to mitigate such disasters and combat climate change before these extreme events go beyond society's ability to effectively prepare for them.
Narrative B
It's easy to blame any strong hurricane on climate change, but in reality, they're usually influenced by a myriad of factors that have nothing to do with global warming. More research is needed before we can establish any direct causal link between the two.