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    • Storm has crossed the border from Georgia into Tennessee
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    Storm has crossed the border from Georgia into Tennessee

    Eira Gwyneth Posted on

    Topline

    Hurricane Helene has moved significantly inland since making landfall in Big Bend, Florida, on Thursday as a Category 4 storm, and had crossed the Georgia border into Tennessee late Friday morning, causing “historic and catastrophic flooding” in the South Appalachia led.

    Important facts

    The center of Helene, downgraded to a tropical storm since its landfall, was about 100 miles east of Chattanooga, Tennessee, at 10:30 a.m. EDT on Friday, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.

    Heavy rain will fall over portions of the central and southern Appalachians, and total rainfall accumulations of 6 to 12 inches are expected across the region, with isolated rainfall totals of around 20 inches.

    Flash flood disasters are occurring in Atlanta, much of the state of South Carolina, and western North Carolina, including the Raleigh and Fayetteville, North Carolina areas.

    Tornadoes are possible Friday across portions of eastern Georgia, the Carolinas and southern Virginia, and persistent tropical storm conditions are expected along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina.

    Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in Asheville and McDowell counties in North Carolina as rivers and reservoirs are expected to swell due to heavy rain, and several schools in Kentucky and Indiana are closed Friday as wind and heavy rain sweep across the region.

    Helene is expected to slow soon and stall over the Tennessee Valley tonight and throughout the weekend.

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    Important background

    Hurricane Helene made landfall near the town of Perry in Florida’s Big Bend region around 11:10 p.m. EDT on Thursday. According to the New York Times, the storm hit Florida and Georgia and claimed at least 20 lives. Seven deaths have been confirmed in Florida, at least two from drowning; 11 in Georgia and two in North Carolina.

    Did Hurricane Helene cause power outages?

    About 4 million people in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia are without power. Nearly 2 million people in North and South Carolina are without power, as well as 1 million in Georgia and another million in Florida, according to PowerOutage.US figures as of 12:30 p.m. EDT.

    Does Helene influence the airlines?

    Tampa International Airport closed to the public at 2 a.m. EDT Thursday in anticipation of Hurricane Helene, but resumed operations Friday morning. The storm did not cause any significant damage to the airport. According to FlightAware, hundreds of flights were either canceled or delayed due to the storm, impacting airports including Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport and Asheville Regional Airport.

    tangent

    Helene is the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season and comes weeks after Francine made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 2 on September 11th. Forecasters predicted this year’s busiest storm season (from June 1 to November 30) the Atmospheric Administration has ever predicted – up to 25 named storms and 13 hurricanes – but the season so far has not been as active as predicted.

    Further reading

    ForbesHow those exposed to Hurricane Helene used the Waffle House Index to measure the threatFrom Mary Whitfill RoeloffsForbesMore than 2 million people without power as Hurricane Helene hits Georgia as a Category 1 storm (Photos)From Siladitya RayForbesState forecasters are issuing the worst hurricane season forecast in their history – here’s whyFrom Brian Bushard

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    Eira Gwyneth
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