DStv Channel 403 Friday, 17 January 2025

Weakening Hurricane Helene still 'extremely dangerous,' officials warn

MIAMI - Hurricane Helene weakened on Friday hours after it made landfall in the US state of Florida, with officials warning the storm remained "extremely dangerous" as it surged inland, leaving flooded roads and homes in its wake. 

The storm tore a destructive path through Florida into neighbouring Georgia, the US National Hurricane Center said, warning residents to stay in shelter from "catastrophic winds", storm surge and heavy rains. 

"This is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation," the centre said in its latest bulletin. 

The storm had weakened to Category 1 on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale with sustained windspeeds of 145km/h after slamming into the southeastern US coast as a powerful Category 4 hurricane. 

About 1,131,100 homes and businesses were without power in Florida and more than 90,000 in Georgia as the storm moved northward, according to tracking site PowerOutage.us. 

More than 55 million Americans were under some form of weather alert or warning from Hurricane Helene, with tornado warnings out across northern Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.

Florida residents had been warned of "unsurvivable" storm surge, with images on local media showing flooded homes and intense rains. 

"We're expecting to see a storm surge inundation of 15 to 20 feet above ground level," NHC director Mike Brennan said. 

"That's up to the top of a second-story building. Again, a really unsurvivable scenario is going to play out here in this portion of the Florida coastline."

The accompanying waves "can destroy houses, move cars, and that water level is going to rise very quickly," Brennan added. 

US President Joe Biden urged people to heed official evacuation warnings.

"I urge everyone in and near the path of Helene to listen to local officials and follow evacuation warnings," he said. "Take this seriously, and be safe."

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