Tropical Storm Helene morphed into a Category 3 Hurricane on Thursday night. The storm hit Florida bringing with it death and destruction.
The hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 345 miles from the center.
Hurricane Deaths
As of 3 pm CST Helene’s death toll was 30. It will likely rise across 4 states.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said there have been at least at least eight deaths in Florida. Five of those deaths occurred in Pinellas County near Tampa.
“I can’t think of a time Pinellas County has ever experienced the kind of surge we experienced last night,” Gualtieri said in a morning news conference.
In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp’s spokesman reported that “11 people have died so far from causes related to Hurricane Helene,” according to The Associated Press.
Falling trees killed two people in Anderson County in the northwest part of South Carolina,
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said there had been two storm-related deaths in his state. And they are expecting to find more victims.
