‘It’s like a nuclear bomb exploded’: Hurricane Helene hits Florida hard

At least 45 people, including a 4-year-old child, died in the southern United States when the hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida devastating everything in its path as far as North Carolina.

• Also read: Hurricane “Helene”, weakened, remains “extremely dangerous”, according to authorities

• Also read: “We have to leave”: in Florida, residents flee the approaching hurricane “Helene”

“It was a scary night, the winds were up to 115 km/h. There was a lot of noise in the house. This is the first time that I have been so worried, especially about the flooding,” explains Joanne Clement, a Quebecer who has lived in Tampa Bay, Florida, for 25 years.

Thursday evening, the hurricane Helene category 4 on a scale of 5, made landfall in northwest Florida with winds blowing at 225 km/h. It would be the most powerful hurricane to ever hit this region, according to National Hurricane Center expert Michael Lowry.

Obstructed roads, debris on the ground, uprooted trees: the hurricane hit hard and South Americans are still on alert.

“It’s as if a nuclear bomb had exploded,” he told New York Times Michael Bobbitt, who lives in Cedar Key, Florida.

“We always have a lot of rain in Florida during hurricane season, but yesterday it was the winds that were impressive (…). The palm trees were at 45 degrees and there were green flashes in the sky, which doesn’t happen often,” Cassandre Tremblay, a Quebecer who lives in Tallahassee, told LCN.

At least 45 dead

At the time of writing, the death toll stood at 45 and the toll could rise as heavy rains continue to trigger massive flooding in the southeastern United States on Friday, where Helene continued as a tropical storm.

Millions of Americans were left without power.

From Tallahassee, Florida to Charlotte, North Carolina, to Georgia, strong winds and heavy rains caused flash floods and falling trees. American media even reported that around 60 people were trapped on the roof of a hospital in Erwin, Tennessee due to flooding. They had to be rescued by helicopter, authorities said.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp identified 115 infrastructure damaged by the storm. People would even be trapped there.

On the Florida coast, marine submersion has caused significant flooding, with sea levels rising by more than 15 feet in places.

Deanne Criswell of the federal agency responsible for natural disaster response told CNN that nearly 600 rescues had been made since last night.

“The threat is not over” and the situation “is still dangerous,” she added, highlighting the risk of flash flooding, particularly in the large city of Atlanta in Georgia.

Today, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced that they had to postpone the game between the Florida team and the Nashville Predators until October 7 while “the Tampa Bay region was recovering from the aftermath of the hurricane Helene“.

“It must be said that around the arena, there was a lot of flooding (Thursday evening). I think it will give people the chance to get back on their feet,” underlines Mark Lambert, performance director for the Tampa Bay Lightning.