Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Helene was an Atlantic tropical system in late September 2024.[1] The cyclone formed on Tuesday, September 24 between the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba.
| Category 4 major hurricane (SSHWS/NWS) | |
 Helene at its peak, before its landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida on September 26 | |
| Formed | September 24, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Dissipated | September 29, 2024 |
| Highest winds | 1-minute sustained: 140 mph (220 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 939 mbar (hPa); 27.73 inHg |
| Fatalities | 252 total |
| Damage | $78.7 billion (2024 USD) |
| Areas affected | Yucatán Peninsula, Honduras, Cayman Islands, Cuba, and Southeastern United States (mainly Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee)
|
| Part of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Helene entered through Northern Florida and the Southeastern United States as a major hurricane with winds 110 miles per hour or higher and severe storm surge. The Southeastern United States from North Carolina to Northern Florida were under tropical storm watches or warnings.
The storm was the deadliest in the United States since Hurricane Katrina.[2]
Retirement:
List of retired Atlantic hurricane names
The name Helene was retired due to the damage and deaths it caused, and will be replaced by Holly for the 2030 season.
Congressional investigations
Between November 2024–March 2025, the United States Congress, conducted four investigations into how the United States government responded to the damage caused by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton in 2024. The U.S. Congress also investigated crimes committed by workers at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).[3][4][5] These two hurricanes caused widespread misinformation to be spread across social media. They also caused a political crisis, to the point where Helene was described as the "flashpoint" for the 2024 United States presidential election.[6] These four investigations eventually led to U.S. President Donald Trump wanted to get rid of FEMA.[7]
Hurricane Helene Media
Radar loop of Hurricane Helene at landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida early on September 27
Helene seen from the International Space Station on September 26
Georgia National Guard preparing for the hurricane
Hurricane Helene over the Gulf of Mexico on September 25
The Florida National Guard cleaning damage in Keaton Beach, Florida, following Helene
Damaged traffic signal in Augusta on September 30.
Uprooted and damaged trees on the campus of Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (US 64) West in Henderson County, North Carolina, on September 27
Devastation in Asheville, North Carolina – at the intersection of Swannanoa River Road (NC-81) and Azalea Road – caused by Hurricane Helene
Donald Trump delivers remarks in North Carolina in January 2025.
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References
- ↑ Tracking Hurricane Helene. New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
- ↑ Masters, Jeff. Helene is now the deadliest mainland U.S. hurricane since Katrina (October 2, 2024). New Haven, Connecticut: Yale Climate Connections. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
- ↑ Battaglia, Danielle. FEMA admin testifies about misinformation, funding and Trump supporters after Helene. The News & Observer (20 November 2024)McClatchy. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
- ↑ Strickler, Laura. FEMA chief grilled about government's response to hurricanes Helene and Milton. NBC News (19 November 2024). Retrieved 23 August 2025.
- ↑ Gorman, Reese. The House Oversight Committee Wants Answers From FEMA on the Hurricane Helene Response. NOTUS (19 March 2025)Albritton Journalism Institute. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
- ↑ Klein, Betsy. The enormous devastation of Hurricane Helene becomes a political flashpoint. CNN (1 October 2024). Retrieved 25 July 2025.
- ↑ Tierney, MaryAnn (2025-07-07). "Texas Hill Country Is underwater, and America's emergency lifeline Is fraying" (in en-US). The New York Times. . https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/opinion/texas-floods-fema.html. Retrieved 2025-07-10.
