Dozens dead, millions without power throughout southeast U.S. in wake of Helene

Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Dozens of people have died and millions are without power in the southeastern United States in the wake of Helene, a tropical storm as of Friday morning after coming ashore in Florida in the night as a powerful Category 4 hurricane.

At least 15 people were killed in Georgia from incidents related to Helene, a spokesperson for Gov. Brian Kemp told reporters in a mid-afternoon update, several hours after the governor earlier confirmed 11 residents had been killed due to high winds and flooding.

Meanwhile, at least 13 deaths have been recorded in South Carolina, according to a tally by WYFF-TV in Columbia. Two of the victims were firefighters who died in Saluda County when their vehicle was struck by a tree, Gov. Henry McMaster confirmed at an afternoon press briefing.

In Florida, at least seven people are reported dead, including five in Pinellas County, which includes the city of Tampa, according to Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, who described the destruction wrought along the county's beaches as "a war zone."

Additional fatalities were recorded in North Carolina, where the National Weather Service described Helene as one one of the region's most significant weather events of the modern era. Storm-related deaths were reported in Charlotte and Catawba County, according to WRAL-TV in Raleigh, N.C.

The website PowerOutage.us reported 1.2 million homes were without power in South Carolina as of late Friday afternoon, as well as 915,000 in Georgia and 700,000 in Florida. The center of the storm was located 50 miles southeast of Louisville as of 4 p.m. on Friday.

Tornadoes continued to threaten areas of the Southeast as Friday wore on. In North Carolina, two twisters were confirmed by the National Weather Service, including one near Garland, N.C. and another in Nash County near Rocky Mount, N.C.

Officials said 15 people were injured in the Rocky Mount tornado, four seriously, while 11 buildings were damaged.

An overnight curfew was imposed in Asheville, N.C., by city officials "to ensure the public's safety" as most of the town of 94,000 remained without power.

In eastern Tennessee, more than 50 people were stranded on the roof of the Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin, according to Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., who called it "a dire situation." He later reported "everyone has been rescued safely" from the rooftop but warned, "more trouble on the horizon for East Tennessee communities."

The Virginia State Police said they aided in the rescue of 58 patients trapped on the roof.

More than 800 flights were canceled on Friday affecting many parts of the country since Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, one of the airports caught in the storm, is one of the nation's major hubs.

Other major airports affected were Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina and the Tampa International Airport in Florida.

"The main hazard is very heavy rainfall ongoing over portions of the southeastern United States, which is causing historic and life-threatening flooding," the National Hurricane Center said on Friday . "Helene is expected to move slower to the northwest later [Friday] and then stall over the Tennessee Valley [Friday night] and through the weekend as it merges with a mid- to upper-level low.

"This merger will also lead to extratropical transition, which is expected to occur later [Friday]. The expected slow motion could result in significant flooding over the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys over the southern Appalachians through the weekend."