The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared a Public Health Emergency (PHE) for North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia to address the health impacts of Hurricane Helene. In response, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) is repositioning equipment and personnel to these states to address the potential health impacts of Hurricane Helene.
As of Tuesday, Helene ranked as the second deadliest hurricane to strike the mainland United States, after Katrina, which caused at least 1,833 fatalities, and surpassing Ian, which struck southeast Florida in 2022 and caused 150 fatalities.
More than 160 people were killed across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia due to Hurricane Helene’s destruction, which first hit Florida’s Big Bend region as a category 4 hurricane late Thursday evening. At least 35 people were killed in one North Carolina county alone due to the storm, which produced 30 inches of rain in some areas. Helene’s 120-mph winds also generated a storm surge that sent more than 5 feet of water— reaching 16 feet in some areas—along large parts of Florida’s west coast, NPR reported. In the Tampa Bay area, nine people have been reported dead as of Sunday due to rising waters or apparent drownings, and all deaths took place in a mandatory evacuation zone…