The southeast states of the US were hit with two of the worst hurricanes in history almost simultaneously. Making landfall in late September 2024, Hurricane Helene was shortly followed by Hurricane Miton just 2 weeks later. The two storms resulted in over 200 deaths, and $150 billion in damages. Though the hurricanes have passed, they left social, environmental, demographic, and economical effects that are still impacting the people in the target states today, and it’s predicted that they will continue to have an impact until the near future. 

 

Making landfall on September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene struck northwestern Florida, specifically the Big Bend area. The category 4 hurricane brought winds above 140 mph and a storm gauge of 15 ft. As a result, flooding was deadly, and thousands of people were left with destroyed homes, roads, and power lines. 

 

Worse than Florida, though, was North Carolina, as they received unsurpassed amounts of rain, tornadoes, landslides, and more. According to Governor Roy Cooper, this was the worst storm the state had ever seen, resulting in almost 100 confirmed deaths from just North Carolina alone. Similar to Florida, it destroyed thousands of homes and left people without necessities, including water, healthcare, and electricity. The absence of electricity, because of cell towers being down, kept many from getting the emergency alerts about the severity of the storm, a reason why many were unable to evacuate in time.  Economically, the hurricane left just North Carolina with over $53 billion in damages. Georgia, Virginia, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee make up the other $50 billion all together, as well as the other 100 deaths. 

 

Milton, a category 3 storm, hit Florida’s Gulf Coast the night of October 9, 2024. Its fastest wind speed surpassed those of Helene, and hit up to 180 mph. These winds did not occur by land, though, and went over the Gulf of Mexico. The storm surge peaked at 10 ft, and brought tornadoes and widespread flooding throughout the state. Flooding was so dangerous that the entire west coast was instructed to evacuate. Mayor Jane Castor warned residents in these areas, stating “If you choose to stay, you will die,” though evacuation was difficult, due to closed and/or overcrowded airports and roads. Over 130 people died, and brought over $85 billion in damages. 3 million residents were left with destroyed homes, and more with damaged homes, costs so high that insurance companies are unable to cover. Water and sewage was unavailable for days, as well as power and phone lines. 

 

Residents in evacuation areas of both storms were told to write their names and date of birth, so they could be identified if the storm ended their lives. People did the same for their large, outdoor animals, horses being a commonly marked animal. Videos of people who feared for the lives of themselves and others filled social media, to raise awareness and leave a message in case they did die. It was extremely difficult for people in other states to be unaware of the tragedies, and donations for the hurricane victims have been collected. 

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Works Cited:

"Tampa Mayor Warns Residents in Evacuation Zones 'You're Gonna Die'." Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2024. https://www.newsweek.com/tampa-mayor-warns-residents-evacuation-zones-youre-gonna-die-1965381.