Rescuers working hard, fast as Helene’s path of destruction becomes clear

Millions of residents in Florida, Georgia and neighboring Gulf Coast states are working to recover from the blast that Hurricane Helene delivered late Thursday and Friday.

Helene had been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, according to USA Today, as it swept through the Southeast on Friday, but the storm still inflicted flooding across multiple states, causing as many as 40 deaths and power outages affecting millions.

In Perry, Florida, residents were working to check on their neighbors and restore power after Helene struck late Thursday, “tearing apart homes and sending rescue crews on desperate missions to save people from floodwaters,” according to The Associated Press.

The Category 4 hurricane knocked out power to some hospitals in southern Georgia, and Gov. Brian Kemp said authorities had to use chainsaws to clear debris and open up roads, per AP.

In Erwin, Tennessee, safety officials were pressed into a helicopter mission to rescue dozens of staff and patients stranded on the roof of a flooded hospital. Rescue by boat was also deemed too dangerous.

Per the Fox Weather Channel, “Waters from the swollen Nolichucky River began quickly rising at the Unicoi County Hospital early Friday morning, according to a statement from Ballad Health.

“Hospital officials called for ambulances to come evacuate 11 patients, but flooding quickly worsened to the point where ambulances could no longer safely reach the hospital.

“By midday, 54 people had made it to the roof of the building, while seven have managed to remain in rescue boats,” according to Fox Weather .

“The hospital has been engulfed by extremely dangerous and rapidly moving water,” officials said . “The situation at the hospital is very dangerous and (Tennessee Emergency managers) and National Guard resources are engaged in what can only be described as a dangerous rescue operation.”

Helicopters were finally able to begin air evacuations just after 2 p.m., according to an X post by Tennessee Rep. Diana Harshbarger.

Ballad Health officials said all staff and patients had been safely evacuated by 4:40 p.m., with patients transferred to Johnson City Medical Center.

The storm is also causing widespread concern in Kentucky and Virginia as well as South and North Carolina.