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- Helene near the top of this list of deadliest hurricanes (newsbreak.com)
Hurricane Helene’s Devastating Toll
Search teams in North Carolina’s mountains continue to find bodies, increasing the death toll from Hurricane Helene’s floods. With hundreds still missing, officials fear the numbers will rise.
Across the Southeast, including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee, additional deaths have been reported, bringing the total to 214 as of Thursday. This makes Helene the fourth deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland US since 1950.
The death toll from hurricanes can be complex to determine. Including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, Maria in 2017 claimed 2,975 lives, making it the deadliest Atlantic hurricane in modern history.
Looking back at the entire history of Atlantic hurricanes, the 1900 hurricane in Galveston, Texas, killed thousands, possibly up to 12,000. Maria, Katrina, and Audrey are among the few modern storms that rank among the deadliest.
Katrina remains the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland US since 1950, with a death toll of 1,392. Helene now ranks fourth on this list, surpassing Diane and Ian.
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- Helene near the top of this list of deadliest hurricanes (newsbreak.com)