Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Hurricane Helene Expected to Cause $95-$110 Billion in Damages

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Prior to making landfall in Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas, Hurricane Helene struck Florida as a Category 4 hurricane.

Authorities in the southeastern United States were faced with the immense challenge on Saturday of dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, one of the most powerful and potentially costly storms to hit the country, as the number of casualties continued to rise.

By early Saturday, at least 47 deaths had been reported, with officials expressing concerns that more fatalities may be discovered across multiple states.

Damage assessments from the path of the storm vary between $95 billion and $110 billion, indicating that this could be one of the most financially impactful storms in modern American history, as stated by AccuWeather’s chief meteorologist, Jonathan Porter.

Despite being reclassified as a post-tropical cyclone late on Friday, the remnants of Helene continued to cause significant rainfall across several states, leading to widespread flooding that posed a threat of dam failures potentially resulting in the inundation of entire towns.

President Joe Biden addressed the overwhelming devastation caused by Hurricane Helene on Saturday, expressing continued prayers for those who have suffered losses and for all individuals affected by the storm.

As of Saturday afternoon, over 3 million customers remained without power in five states, with authorities cautioning that it could take several days for full restoration of services. The most severe outages were reported in South Carolina, with over 1 million homes and businesses affected, and Georgia, where 750,000 were without power.


Vocabulary List:

  1. Landfall /ˈlænd.fɔːl/ (noun): The event of a storm making contact with land.
  2. Casualties /ˈkæʒ.ʊ.əl.tiz/ (noun): People killed or injured in a war or accident.
  3. Aftermath /ˈæf.tər.mæθ/ (noun): The consequences or aftereffects of a significant event.
  4. Inundation /ˌɪn.ʌnˈdeɪ.ʃən/ (noun): The flooding or overwhelming of an area usually by water.
  5. Devastation /ˌdɛv.əˈsteɪ.ʃən/ (noun): Severe and overwhelming shock or grief often due to destruction.
  6. Restoration /ˌrɛs.təˈreɪ.ʃən/ (noun): The act of bringing something back to its original condition.

How much do you know?


Prior to making landfall in Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas, where did Hurricane Helene strike as a Category 4 hurricane?
Texas
Louisiana
Florida
Alabama


By early Saturday, how many deaths had been reported due to Hurricane Helene?
23
47
12
88


What is the estimated range of damage assessments from the path of Hurricane Helene?
$50 billion to $70 billion
$25 billion to $50 billion
$95 billion to $110 billion
$120 billion to $150 billion


Who is the chief meteorologist at AccuWeather who commented on the financial impact of Hurricane Helene?
Jonathan Porter
Michael Brown
Sarah Johnson
Alice Cooper


Despite being reclassified as a post-tropical cyclone, what posed a significant threat due to remnants of Helene?
Hailstorms
Strong winds
Widespread flooding
Tornadoes


As of Saturday afternoon, in which state were the most severe power outages reported?
Georgia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee

This question is required

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