UPDATED! LIVE: 30 deaths reported amid catastrophic destruction, millions without power after monster Helene
Denison Forum
Dr. Jim Dension
“Please write your name, birthday, and important information on your arm or leg in a PERMANENT MARKER so that you can be identified and family notified.” That was the morbid message the sheriff’s office in rural Taylor County, Florida had for those who chose not to evacuate prior to Hurricane Helene’s historic landfall.
Earlier this week, expectations were that the storm may eventually reach Category 3, which was still cause for concern, but proved to be a dramatic understatement of Helene’s destructive potential. When it finally hit land last night, it was classified as a Category 4 and boasted sustained winds of more than 140 mph with gusts even higher than that, making it the “strongest hurricane on record to slam into Florida’s Big Bend.” As of this writing, more than a million people in Florida are without power and a state of emergency has been declared in 61 of the state’s 67 counties.
Still, the greatest dangers in such a storm do not come from the wind but, rather, from the water.
As Brendan Farrington described, “While wind can tear off roofs, knock down trees, and snap power lines, storm surge can push buildings completely off their foundations, can trap and even drown people in their homes, wash out roads and bridges, toss boats inland and hammer anything in its path.” Some expected the surge—which measures how high the water level surpasses normal tides—to rise as high as 15 to 20 feet; far more than is needed to wreck most single-story homes and buildings.
And even after devastating much of Florida, the storm remained a Category 1 hurricane as it moved across Georgia and beyond, with winds in excess of 70 mph.
In the face of such destruction, how should Christians respond? More Here
