Hurricane Helene terrorized America’s southeastern region, killing scores of people, destroying buildings and roads, and ruining crops in numerous states.
The hurricane reached the second-highest level of storms, a Category 4 on the SAFFIR-SIMPSON Hurricane scale. The level requires winds to reach 131 to 155 miles per hour. The storm caused billions of dollars in damage.
Destruction for more than 500 miles. More than 200 people died with others unaccounted for. Six states felt its wrath.
Georgia expects damage reports to top $2.5 billion for that state alone. Two poultry plants had to shut down due to the storm. Wayne-Sanderson Farms lost power at its Moultrie plant due to downed transmission lines. Normally, 1.3 million chickens get processed weekly at the facility.
Parts of Georgia received more than a foot of rain over two days, a total that typically takes four months to reach, according to CNN.
Cotton and soy crops in South Carolina will also suffer due to the storm. The heavy rains damaged cotton fiber and soaked the ground, which makes it more difficult for heavy equipment to harvest.
RELATED: South Carolina Public Radio tallied some of the damage from Hurricane Helene and pointed out that a lesser-noticed bright spot was much-needed moisture in some areas dealing with drought. Find that story here.
Some peanut farmers in Florida dealt with nearly 10 inches of rain in their fields because of Hurricane Helene. This was the third hurricane to hit the Big Bend region in the past 13 months. Farmers will start losing parts of their crops. Peanuts can rot in the soil.
RELATED: WUFT-FM from the University of Florida in Gainesville reported on peanut farmers’ worries and how much just a week’s delay in digging peanuts can reduce their yields. Get that story here.
Total damage from Hurricane Helena could top $100 billion, according to AccuWeather’s early estimate.
RELATED: Farm Policy News tallies up some of the worst hit areas of the Southeast due to Hurricane Helene’s destruction. Read that here.
