At least 17 people have died in Georgia after Hurricane Helene tore through the Southeast, state authorities confirmed yesterday. The storm caused widespread destruction, with downed trees and damaged power lines making recovery efforts challenging.
The hurricane’s overall death toll across Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas has reached at least 52, according to reports. Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency Director James Stallings warned that the number of fatalities could rise as cleanup continues, with many dangerous situations still unfolding.
Stallings, speaking during a press conference in Valdosta, urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel to keep roads clear for emergency responders. “We lose more individuals through the cleanup process due to dangerous situations,” Stallings explained, emphasizing that unsafe conditions like live power lines and blocked roads remain a significant hazard.
Among those killed in Georgia was Blackshear Fire Department Assistant Chief Vernon “Leon” Davis, who died while responding to emergency calls during the storm. Davis’s city truck was struck by a falling tree.
The Augusta area, particularly McDuffie County, saw multiple deaths due to falling trees. In one tragic incident, a 27-year-old mother and her twin 1-month-old boys were killed when a tree collapsed onto their mobile home. The family had been asleep in bed at the time, according to McDuffie County Coroner Paul Johnson.
In addition to this tragedy, a 77-year-old man in Grovetown was killed when a large tree crushed his mobile home, forcing responders to use a crane to remove the debris. Meanwhile, Washington County experienced another devastating incident when two young children, aged 7 and 4, died after a tree fell on their house, which then caught fire.
Elsewhere, Laurens County reported the deaths of a local resident and a Kentucky woman, both killed when trees fell during the storm. Charles Douglas Brownlee, 58, of Dublin, was killed when pine trees collapsed onto his home. Angela Edwards, 48, died when her semi-truck was hit by a wind-blown tree along U.S. 441.
As the cleanup process continues, officials are urging caution and patience, noting that hazardous conditions will persist for some time.
