On September 24, 2024, a hurricane started to form over the Caribbean, near the Yucatán Peninsula. As it made its way through Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and multiple other states, it strengthened. This hurricane is known as Hurricane Helene. It became the most powerful hurricane ever to hit the Big Bend region of Florida, with wind speeds reaching 140 mph. This hurricane has not only impacted many individuals living in the affected areas but is also likely to influence the upcoming election.
On September 23, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) was monitoring an area in the northwestern Caribbean Sea where disorganized rain and thunderstorms were beginning to form. The NHC indicated a high probability that this could develop into a tropical storm with hurricane conditions. As a result, NHC quickly issued warnings to Yucatán Peninsula residents and other communities that could be affected. The next day, after heavy rain as well as considerable flooding and mudslides in the Caribbean, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp began to prepare for a severe impact in their respective states, and Kemp even expanded an existing emergency order to the 159 counties in Georgia.
Fueled by the ultra-warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Hele increased in pace and was
classified as a Category 4 hurricane on September 26. Helene made landfall at Keaton Beach, Florida at 11:10 pm, although the damage spread to many states around Florida. According to The Guardian, many residents along the Gulf Coast had difficulty sleeping, as they could not stand the scenes of devastation. Entire coastal communities were swept away by the storm, and responders conducted thousands of water rescues in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.
In Tennessee, two women and several others went missing after their place of work was engulfed by a massive flood. They were forced to hold on to a semi-truck, but it too eventually tipped over and sent several people into the rushing water. In addition, two firefighters in Saluda County, South Carolina, were struck by a fallen tree on their way to rescue people and died. These people were some of the 162 who died or are presumed dead from Hurricane Helene.
Dante Kippenberger ’27, a resident of Florida said, “Fortunately the part of the region where my family lives did not get affected by Hurricane Helene. However, I have heard from people whose homes were damaged by the storm. The destruction left them feeling helpless as they are unable to protect their homes or prevent the devastation under forces of nature that are beyond human control.”
Hurricane Helene has resulted in problems for upcoming elections. Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections expressed her worry about the impact of mudslides on polling places, which could become inaccessible due to the flooded roads and fallen trees. Mail-in voting would also be impacted, as ballots could be easily lost in the postal system. Election officials are grappling with various other challenges, such as dealing with voters living in temporary shelters or whose mailboxes have been swept away in the floods.
The effects of Hurricane Helene are significant and widespread. As many of our nation’s cities continue to recover from the destruction, the country is simultaneously going through a tumultuous time of election.