Hurricane Helene kills 64 people as millions left without power after catastrophic storm: Live updates

A disturbance off the coast of Cabo Verde could form into a tropical depression in the next 48 hours, the National Hurricane Center said.

The area of low-pressure has a 60 percent change of forming into a tropical cyclone in the next two days and 80 percent chance of forming in the next seven days.

It could take a similar path as Hurricane Helene, which escalated rapidly before hitting Florida and the southeastern region of the United States.

A manatee was rescued and released back into Tampa Bay after being washed ashore because of Hurricane Helene’s coastal surge.

The MacDill Air Force Base, located in Tampa, brought the manatee back into waters, it said in a Facebook post.

The manatee, named Troy, is estimated to be two or three years old.

President Joe Biden has approved a major disaster declaration for Florida and North Carolina, two of the states most hard hit by the tropical storm that swept through the region over the weekend.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals throughout the state. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

The city of Asheville in North Carolina, located less than 100 miles from Charlotte, is one of the places hardest hit as a result of Helene.

Parts of the city were completely underwater. Some people needed to be air-rescued from the roof of their homes as they sought to escape fast-moving waters. Stories and photos of the aftermath are reminiscent of Hurricane Sandy or Hurricane Katrina.

The city has no electricity or any phone service.

There have been deaths in the county but the Emergency Services Director said they were not ready to report specifics because inaccessibility has made it difficult to report next of kin. On social media, families have asked other to help them check in or find their relatives stranded in the city.

At least 64 people have died as a result of Hurricane Helene, which brought significant flooding that caused many to become stranded.

At least 25 people were killed in South Carolina, making it the second deadliest tropical cyclone in the states since 1989. Florida has recorded 11 deaths, most of which were drownings that occurred at homes that were asked to be evacuated.

Deaths have also been reported in Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.

Millions of people remain without power

In a Saturday update on Helene, the National Hurricane Center said that “catastrophic and historic flooding” would continue over portions of the Southern Appalachians, though the risk for additional heavy rainfall was continuing to decrease.

The storm, now a post-tropical cyclone, was expected to hover over the Tennessee Valley on Saturday and Sunday, the NHC added.

Several flood and flash flood warnings remained in effect in parts of the southern and central Appalachians, while high wind warnings also covered parts of Tennessee and Ohio.

Among the at least 44 people killed in the storm were three firefighters, a woman and her 1-month-old twins, and an 89-year-old woman whose house was struck by a falling tree. According to an Associated Press tally, the deaths occurred in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

The threat of a potential dam collapse in Tennesse has eased, officials said on Saturday, following an emergency inspection.

Around midnight the Tennessee Valley Authority had issued an emergency warning that the Nolichucky Dam could breach at any time. An update later on Saturday said the Nolichucky River had crested at 8 feet (2.4 meters) over previous record elevations and was receding at about 1 foot (0.3 meters) per hour.

“Our Dam Safety teams are in the process of assessing the condition of the dam to determine next steps,” TVA posted on X.