### Death Toll Rises amid Widespread Destruction as Hurricane Helene Hits Southeastern US

Hurricane Helene has claimed over 40 lives as it swept through Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, leaving extensive damage and power outages in its wake. A combined tally by the Guardian and the Associated Press updated the grim toll on Friday afternoon.

In Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp’s spokesperson, Garrison Douglas, confirmed at least 15 fatalities. Among them were a first responder, along with a seven-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl, who died when a tree collapsed on their home in Washington County, igniting a fire that trapped them inside, according to WRDW TV.

South Carolina officials reported at least 17 deaths connected to the storm. Tragically, two firefighters lost their lives when a tree struck their vehicle before dawn on Friday. Additional casualties in the state resulted from trees falling on residences. In Claremont, North Carolina, a four-year-old girl lost her life in a traffic accident during heavy rain.

Florida's Pinellas County saw five deaths, with two attributed to drowning, as confirmed by the local sheriff, Bob Gualtieri. Among other fatalities in Florida, a 70-year-old woman was found in a flooded house in Tampa, an individual perished in a traffic accident on Thursday night, and another person died after a tree fell on their home in Dixie County.

The power infrastructure has also taken a significant hit. Over 1.2 million customers in South Carolina, 930,000 in Georgia, 870,553 in North Carolina, and 720,700 in Florida were without electricity as of Friday, according to PowerOutage.US. Ohio also grappled with power outages, affecting more than 200,000 utility customers.

In North Carolina, the National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for Sampson and Nash counties. Garland, North Carolina, faced downed trees and power lines, while Rocky Mount reported 15 injuries, with four being serious, due to tornado activity.

In Tennessee, rescuers successfully evacuated all individuals stranded on the roof of Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin, as confirmed by Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty. The evacuation followed widespread flooding that surrounded the hospital.
Erwin city alderman Michael Baker described the storm as a “once in a lifetime” event during an interview with KHOU.

Adding to Tennessee's woes, Cocke County mayor Rob Mathis ordered the evacuation of downtown Newport due to a catastrophic failure at Waterville Dam, as reported by the Tennessee emergency management agency. The Virginia state police supported the rescue efforts with aviation units, aiding 58 patients and staff trapped on the hospital’s roof in Erwin.

As the southeastern United States begins to assess the full extent of the destruction, communities are urged to stay vigilant with more inclement weather anticipated.