Hurricane Helene

Laurie Canter, of England, hits from the 15th tee during a practice round at the Masters golf tournament, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Hurricane Helene hit Augusta National last summer. What it left is noticeable, not necessarily bad

Augusta National looks as pristine as ever on the eve of the Masters. It’s hard to believe that six months ago, Hurricane Helene laid waste to this part of Georgia.
 
Impact Plastics Inc. is seen on Nov. 22, 2024, in Erwin, Tenn. Multiple workers died trying to escape flood waters during Hurricane Helene in September. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)

Tennessee safety agency says workers killed in flooding were given time to evacuate

 
Vehicles move slowly around trees that have fallen after Hurricane Helene moved through the area, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Valdosta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

Georgia lawmakers approve $300M in farm and timber tax breaks after Hurricane Helene

 
A cotton picker moves through Chris Hopkins' cotton field, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, near Lyons, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

Tens of billions in Hurricane Helene aid to start by March 21

 
Gov. Brian Kemp speaks before signing the budget bill at the Capitol in Atlanta on Crossover Day, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (Arvin Temkar /Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Georgia’s budget sets Hurricane Helene aid and tax rebates. Here’s a look by the numbers

 

Victims’ stories

This photo provided by Laurel Lindsay shows Marcia and Jerry Savage, who were killed by a tree that fell and crushed their bedroom during Hurricane Helene. (Laurel Lindsay/Second Baptist Church of Beech Island, S.C.)

Grandparents found hugging each other after fallen tree killed them in their South Carolina home

 
 · HANNAH FINGERHUT
This undated photo combo shows from left, Kobe Williams, and her twin sons Khazmir Williams and Khyzier Williams who were killed in their home in Thomson, Ga., by a falling tree during Hurricane Helene on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (Obie Lee Williams via AP)

Twin babies who died alongside their mother in Georgia are youngest-known Hurricane Helene victims

 
 · HANNAH SCHOENBAUM
An overturned tractor lies next to an uprooted tree on the White family' property in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024 in Morganton, N.C. The adjacent Catawba River flooded due to torrential rains destroying seven of the family's nine homes on the property. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

Hurricane Helene victims include young siblings killed by falling tree as they slept

 
 · STEPHANY MATAT, OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ
A Madison County sheriff's vehicle passes damaged buildings along Bridge Street in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Hot Springs, N.C. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Hurricane Helene’s victims include first responders who died helping others

 
 · BRENDAN FARRINGTON, DAVID FISCHER
The contents from Mahuffer is on the side of the street after being removed from the flooding of Hurricane Helene on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Indian Rocks Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Helene’s powerful storm surge killed 12 near Tampa. They didn’t have to die

 
 · DAVID FISCHER, TERRY SPENCER
Laurie Lilliott stands amid the wreckage of her destroyed home in Dekle Beach in rural Taylor County, Fla., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. (AP Photo/Kate Payne)

Florida communities hit three times by hurricanes grapple with how and whether to rebuild

 
 · KATE PAYNE, DAVID R. MARTIN

More news

Damage from Hurricane Helene flooding is seen along eastbound lanes of Interstate 40 near the North Carolina state line, Oct. 7, 2024, in Cocke County, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)

A stretch of a North Carolina highway that collapsed during Helene is about to reopen

A stretch of Interstate 40 through the western North Carolina mountains is reopening to traffic this weekend, months after Hurricane Helene’s historic flooding collapsed portions of the road.
 
National Guard Capt. Jill Holtz takes a selfie with Violet Vardiman in Black Mountain, N.C., on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. Holtz was helping with recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene when Vardiman told her of what she’d lost, launching Holtz on a mission to reunite residents with keepsakes they thought they’d lost forever. (Jill Holtz via AP)

To her, Hurricane Helene debris isn’t trash. It is full of memories — and she’s returning them

U.S. National Guard Capt. Jill Holtz spends much of her free time in Swannanoa, North Carolina, searching for items lost from Hurricane Helene’s severe flooding a few months ago.
 
Damage from Hurricane Helene flooding is seen along eastbound lanes of Interstate 40 near the North Carolina state line, Oct. 7, 2024, in Cocke County, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)

Stretch of North Carolina interstate that collapsed during Helene to reopen by March 1

A section of Interstate 40 in western North Carolina that collapsed during Hurricane Helene’s historic flooding will reopen to traffic by March 1. Gov.
 
Patrick Mannion, owner of Osprey Whitewater, looks over the Nolichuky River, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Erwin, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Whitewater outfitters say a hurricane made this river more fun, but they can’t get permits to run it

Whitewater outfitters on the Nolichucky River are facing an uncertain future after Hurricane Helene devastated this scenic spot on the North Carolina-Tennessee border.
 
Georgia House Appropriations Committee Chairman Matt Hatchett, R-Dublin, explains proposed changes to the current state budget during a committee meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, at the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta. House members are scheduled to vote on the changes on Wednesday, Feb. 7. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy, File)

Georgia House moves to boost spending on Hurricane Helene relief

Georgia’s state House wants to spend more on Hurricane Helene relief and is cutting some of Gov. Brian Kemp’s prison and construction spending proposals to do so.
 

Federal block grants of $1.65B awarded to North Carolina governments for Helene recovery

North Carolina governments are receiving over $1.65 billion in federal block grant money to help address historic levels of damage caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.
 
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, center, takes the oath of office from state Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby, placing his hand on the Hebrew Bible held by Stein's wife, Anna, in the old Senate chamber of the 1840 Capitol Building in Raleigh, N.C. on Wednesday, Jan. 1 ,2025 (AP Photo/Gary D. Robertson)

New North Carolina governor issues orders on private road repairs, housing after Helene

New North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has already taken several actions to help the short- and long-term recovery from Hurricane Helene.
 
Jerry Barnett holds a picture of his wife and son on Nov. 22, 2024, in Johnson City, Tenn. Barnett's wife, Sibrina, died trying to escape flood waters caused by Hurricane Helene in September, near the plastics factory where she cleaned offices once a week. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Flooding took away the love of his life after 35 years without a day spent apart

Jerry and Sibrina Barnett never spent a single day apart in 35 years together. They both worked long hours and never went on vacations.
 
A cotton picker works in a field of cotton, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, near Lyons, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Farmers are still reeling months after Hurricane Helene ravaged crops across the South

Farmers in Georgia are still reeling more than two months after Hurricane Helene blew away cotton, destroyed ripened squash and cucumbers and uprooted pecan trees and timber.
 
This photo provided by the North Carolina Department of Transportation shows the collapsed eastbound lane of I-40 into the Pigeon River in North Carolina near the Tennessee border, Sept. 28, 2024. (N.C. Department of Transportation via AP, File)

New damage delays I-40 reopening in North Carolina closed by Helene

The reopening of a section of Interstate 40 in western North Carolina that collapsed during Hurricane Helene has been delayed after more asphalt from eastbound lanes fell this week.
 
FILE - A truck drives down a flooded street in Siesta Key, Fla., following the passage of Hurricane Milton, on Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

Florida agriculture hit with $190M losses from Hurricane Milton

Florida agriculture suffered more than $190 million in losses from Hurricane Milton, making it the costliest for farmers and ranchers of three cyclones that struck the state in 2024, according to University of Florida researchers.
 
Hannah Woodburn holds an eastern hellbender salamander near its cage, where it will stay for 48 to 60 hours after relocation, on the Watauga River near Boone, N.C., June 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

Feds propose protection for giant salamanders devastated by Hurricane Helene

A giant salamander that evolved on the supercontinent Pangaea and outlived the dinosaurs has been proposed for federal protection by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
 
FILE - Travis Edwards captures excess water while cleaning dishes on Oct. 3, 2024, in Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson, File)

Western North Carolina’s water system is finally back online after Helene

More than 100,000 residents in western North Carolina are now allowed to drink and bathe with water from their home faucets.
 
FILE - Vehicles move slowly around trees that have fallen after Hurricane Helene moved through the area, Sept. 27, 2024, in Valdosta, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

Georgia officials agree to spend $100 million on Hurricane Helene aid for farms and forestry

Georgia’s state government is diverting $100 million to spend on loans to farmers and cleanup after Hurricane Helene.
 
FILE - Damage caused by flooding from Hurricane Helene is seen around Impact Plastics in Erwin, Tenn., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

Rescuers find body of worker swept away from Tennessee factory by Hurricane Helene flood

Rescue workers in Tennessee have recovered the body of the final person still missing after massive flooding from Hurricane Helene hit a plastics factory there.
 
FILE - Actress Bellamy Young, from left, actor Tony Goldwyn, and actress Kerry Washington arrive at the Disney/ABC 2013 Summer TCA Party at the Beverly Hilton Hotel Sunday, Aug. 4, 2013 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP, File)

‘Scandal’ cast will reunite for online script reading for hurricane relief in western North Carolina

The cast of ABC’s hit show “Scandal” will reunite Nov. 17 for a live, virtual script reading to raise money for the western North Carolina area that was ravaged by Hurricane Helene.
 
FILE - Volunteers with the grassroots group BeLoved Asheville fill bottles of drinking water for residents in low-income independent living facilities without running water, Oct. 8, 2024, in Asheville, N.C. (Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP, File)

Boil water advisories can be confusing. Here are some safety tips from experts

The city of Asheville has restored running water to most of its users nearly a month after Hurricane Helene damaged infrastructure and killed more than 200 people around the region.
 
FILE- North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, right, and Deanne Criswell, Administrator of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, await the arrival of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris for a briefing on the damage from Hurricane Helene, at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Oct. 5, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, file)

North Carolina’s governor approves more than $600 million in Helene recovery funding

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper approved more than $600 million worth of funding on Friday to go toward disaster recovery from Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.
 
High school senior Nathan Flaherty pauses while packing hygiene kits for people in need of supplies as he volunteers in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, at the Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center in Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

In Asheville, high school seniors make key life choices under the stress of Helene recovery

High school seniors in Asheville are grappling with several important life decisions as they still recover from the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene on their region.
 
Sate Sen. Julie Mayfield, D-Buncombe County, becomes emotional after asking for more financial assistance and a moratorium on evictions for western North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene, during debate on SB 743, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 at the General Assembly in Raleigh, N.C. (Robert Willett/The News & Observer via AP)

North Carolina lawmakers approve $600M more for Helene recovery, order more voting sites

North Carolina state legislators have approved over $600 million more toward Hurricane Helene recovery and relief.
 
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper unveils a report about damages caused by Hurricane Helene and his $3.9 billion request to the General Assembly for recovery initiatives during a press conference at the Albemarle Building in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Gary D. Robertson)

North Carolina government calculates Hurricane Helene damages, needs at least $53B

North Carolina officials say the catastrophic flooding and destruction from Hurricane Helene likely caused at least $53 billion in damages and recovery needs in the state.
 
Young people from Sarasota, Fla., visit a familiar beach on Siesta Key, Fla., which they say was already decimated by Hurricane Helene, and lost feet more of sand coverage in Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Hurricane Milton ravaged one of the most popular areas for ‘snowbirds’ on Florida’s Gulf Coast

Hurricane Milton’s devastating landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast hit one of the most popular areas for temporary residents who spend the winter months living in the Sunshine State.
 
FILE - A horse-drawn trailer carries a 34-foot live Fraser fir to the front doors of the Biltmore House in Asheville, N.C Friday, Nov. 2, 2007. (Bill Sanders/The Asheville Citizen-Times via AP)

What to know about Biltmore Estate reopening after Hurricane Helene

North Carolina’s Biltmore Estate will soon reopen after being forced to close when floodwaters pushed by Hurricane Helene devastated the area.
 
FILE - Vehicles and debris that were caught in a flash flood from Hurricane Helene rest on the side of the road near the Swannanoa River, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Swannanoa, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

In Helene’s and Milton’s wake, faith-based disaster relief groups prepare for the long haul

(RNS) — This past Sunday, worshippers returned to Biltmore Church, a megachurch in Asheville, North Carolina, for the first time in person after Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina.
 
High water is seen on Hillsborough street in the aftermath of hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Florida official warns Hurricane Milton victims about scammers posing as FEMA workers

The emergency management chief of the Florida county where Hurricane Milton made landfall earlier this month is warning about reports of scammers who are posing as Federal Emergency Management Agency officials and trying to get financial information from the storm’s victims.
 
A car sits half-buried in sand as Bradenton Beach, Fla., which was in the process of cleaning up after Hurricane Helene, as Hurricane Milton approaches on Anna Maria Island, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Florida digs out of mountains of sand swept in by back-to-back hurricanes

Residents of Florida’s Gulf Coast are digging out from mountains of sand after Hurricanes Helene and Milton clobbered them with back-to-back hits in less than two weeks.
 
People gather at a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center at A.C. Reynolds High School in Asheville, N.C.,, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Makiya Seminera)

Witnesses saw an armed group harassing Helene aid workers in a small Tennessee town, sheriff says

A sheriff says witnesses reported seeing a group of armed people harassing hurricane relief workers in a remote Tennessee community last weekend.
 
This undated photo provided by Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shows a dog nicknamed Trooper, who was found abandoned along Interstate 75 in Tampa, Fla., as residents evacuated Florida's Gulf Coast last week shortly before Hurricane Milton made landfall. (Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles via AP)

Man charged with abandoning dog to Hurricane Milton’s floodwaters

A man has been arrested for animal cruelty after authorities say he abandoned his dog in floodwaters along a highway as residents evacuated last week because of Hurricane Milton.
 
FILE - A man walks near a flooded area near the Swannanoa river, effects from Hurricane Helene , Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Asheville, N.C. (AP Photo/Erik Verduzco, File)

Many schools are still closed weeks after Hurricane Helene. Teachers worry about long-term impact

Tens of thousands of students in the Southeast are dealing with school disruptions after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc so severe — on homes, campuses and municipal power and water systems — that some districts have no idea when they will reopen.
 

Southern Conference moves volleyball championships from Asheville as area continues Helene recovery

The Southern Conference has moved its volleyball tournament championship from storm-ravaged Asheville, North Carolina, as the region continues recovering from the destruction of Hurricane Helene.
 
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