By Annie Reed

On Monday, September 23, Hurricane Helene developed into a tropical storm through the northwestern Caribbean Sea. With much uncertainty about the storm’s power, communities throughout Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina were evacuated or prepared for the storm. The death toll is at least 230, but damage is still being uncovered, and at least 26 are still missing. Many of the cities affected by Helene also had to brace for the impact of Category 3 Hurricane Milton 13 days later, which landed at Siesta Key.

On September 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Perry, a small town on the west coast of Florida. Hitting the ground as a Category 4 hurricane with 130 mph winds, Helene traveled through the western areas of Florida at 30 mph. As it blew through areas near Tampa and Anna Maria Island, it created a storm surge of up to eight feet, putting residential areas underwater and leaving at least 12 dead in the surrounding areas of the Pinellas Barrier Islands.

After slamming small towns and leaving residents of Florida hopeless, Helene continued to wipe out communities in Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia. The worst devastation was in the communities of western North Carolina and South Carolina.

Typically, the mountainous terrain of these southern states tends to rid the storm of its immense amounts of rain and wind, yet in Helene’s case, it only grew due to orographic precipitation. This caused higher amounts of precipitation to form through the areas, devastating communities in and around Chimney Rock and Asheville, North Carolina, as well more remote mountain towns. People in this area were unprepared for the treachery this storm brought, as they do not typically experience hurricanes.  

Damage in Asheville, North Carolina. Photo credit: Bill McMannis.

North Carolina alone has reported over 100 deaths, yet some have still not been accounted for, and this number is expected to increase. Thousands were left without power, while roads vanished and disintegrated with the storm’s 22 inches of rain, something these Western North Carolina cities have not experienced since the 1916 “Great Flood”, which essentially buried these communities under water.

These small towns were wrecked. Asheville resident Jazmine Rodgers reported to CNN: “My hometown basically doesn’t exist anymore.” It is not just Ashville that was destroyed, but many small towns in the surrounding mountains and valleys.

I visited Anna Maria, Florida in March 2022, and it was such a quaint and charming town. The streets are lined with colorful houses and beautiful beaches, which had over six feet of sand piled up over the entire town from the storm surge of Helene. I also visited Asheville, North Carolina in October 2022. I was shocked to find out the road we had taken to get there, I-40, had sections swept away by rising flood waters from Helene. While the repair date is unknown, some lanes should be opened up by 2025. Both of these beautiful cities are not just amazing tourist destinations, but home to thousands of residents.

Satellite image of Hurricane Milton in the Gulf of Mexico on Oct. 8. Image credit: NOAA via Associated Press.

While the rebuilding of these small towns throughout the South will require years of work, Floridians continued to face more difficulty. Hurricane Milton hit Western Florida directly on Wednesday, October 9. Many who were already impacted by Helene were bracing for the new damage expected. 

With direct landfall at Siesta Key, 70 miles south of Tampa, Hurricane Milton hit as category 3, which was a downgrade from the Category 5 winds Milton packed just 24 hours earlier. As the storm approached, there was great fear throughout Florida due to the conditions that many cities were already in and the anticipated storm surge of 10 to 15 feet. Helene left debris piled through communities, and there was fear surrounding the idea that the rubble could become projectiles. 

Throughout the media, fear spread about the potential monster the hurricane could have been. Fortunately, the storm was not the “worst-case scenario,” as stated by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) in a briefing at Sarasota on October 10. 

Hurricane Milton hits Bradenton Beach, Florida. Photo credit: Rebecca Blackwell/AP Phot.o

While the storm could have been worse, there were still disastrous impacts on much of Florida. Storm surge was not as high as expected, yet tornadoes tore through the residences of many Florida communities. St. Lucie County, Florida was specifically affected by these immense tornados. Six residents were killed, contributing a significant number to the current death toll of at least 24. There were as many as 120 tornado warnings across Florida, the highest on record for a single day. In addition, Milton knocked out the power for up to 4 million people at its peak, and at least 2 million remained without power for weeks after.

With many on edge about Helene, Florida seemed to be more prepared for the potential impacts of Milton. Over 80,000 people spent the night in shelters, while thousands evacuated the areas that were put on mandatory evacuation. Sarasota resident Maurice Williams told NBC News: “I think they did a great job of warning people and putting fear in people to get out of here.”