The force of water. How Hurricane Helene destroyed towns and wreaked havoc in western North Carolina

Kim and Rod Ashby made a stop to the house they were building in Elk Park, North Carolina, on the final Thursday of September, just as Hurricane Helene was beginning her destructive march from Florida to the southern Appalachians.

Jessica Meidinger, the daughter of Kim Ashby, noted that despite the light rain, the Ashbys “felt safe there,” with pillars raising their second home around 20 feet above the ground close to the Tennessee state boundary.

The Elk River, which frequently floods, washed away the Ashbys’ house on September 27, as they were eating breakfast. As it floated away, a neighbor took a picture. Without delay, Rod Ashby seized his spouse and their trio of canines. They initially clung to an old mattress. Then, Meidinger said, to a portion of the wall that finally gave way, dividing them in the swift-moving, rubble-filled waters.

There have been over 100 reported deaths in the state. Across six states, Helene has killed at least 231 people in total, making it one of the worst hurricanes to hit the US mainland in the previous fifty years. Poweroutage.us reports that as of Sunday night, over 300,000 individuals in Georgia and the Carolinas were still without power, with over 140,000 customers affected in North Carolina alone.

As the hard-hit region struggles to recover from Hurricane Helene, President Joe Biden has ordered an additional 500 troops to western North Carolina.

Is Hurricane Milton causing closures at Disney World? Things to be aware of when a storm is approaching

Just weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated the Southeast, Disney World Closures “residents of Florida are ready for what might be one of the most destructive storms as Hurricane Milton strengthened again to a Category 5 hurricane. As Milton is due to land on Wednesday, evacuations are in progress.”

Before entering the center of the state as a weaker-category hurricane, the hurricane is predicted to make landfall on the west coast of the Florida peninsula. There might be lethal storm surges up to ten feet in certain places, making for extremely perilous conditions.

When does Hurricane Milton affect Disney World in Orlando?

The theme parks of Walt Disney World are currently open for business as usual; but, starting at 1:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 9, the theme parks and Disney Springs will be closed in stages:

The theme parks at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios will close at 1:00 p.m.

EPCOT, Disney Springs, and Magic Kingdom will close at 2:00 p.m.

Election regulations are changed in North Carolina to assist voters affected by Hurricane Helene.

 To facilitate voting in areas severely damaged by Hurricane Helene in the U.S. presidential election scheduled for November 5, election officials in the battleground state of North Carolina approved modifications on Monday.

To guarantee that citizens in the state’s mountainous western region may cast ballots despite ongoing disruptions to roads and communications systems, local election officials will have more leeway thanks to the modifications that the North Carolina State Board of Elections overwhelmingly adopted.

Seven states, including North Carolina, will likely decide who will win the presidency in the United States in the upcoming presidential election: Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Kamala Harris. The two contenders are in a close race, according to opinion polls.

Hurricane Helene killed more than 200 people in six states, with the mountainous west of North Carolina being particularly badly struck. Innumerable locals are still isolated from the outside world, and numerous roads in the area are still impassable.

Under the modifications endorsed by the five-member election board, outreach teams in thirteen of the most severely affected counties would be able to assist voters in completing their votes by visiting sites such as disaster shelters.