The death toll has climbed to 37 after Hurricane Helene, one of the most powerful storms to strike the United States, made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane before being downgraded to a tropical storm.
The hurricane, with wind gusts reaching 140 mph (225 km/h), caused widespread destruction across Florida and other southeastern states.
North Carolina emergency management officials confirmed the latest casualties and issued urgent evacuation warnings below the Lake Lure dam, which was feared to be on the verge of failure.
However, later updates indicated the dam was still holding, though its structural integrity remained compromised. Evacuations continued as a precaution.
Earlier in the day, authorities posted a dire warning on social media: “RESIDENTS BELOW THE LAKE LURE DAM NEED TO EVACUATE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY!! DAM FAILURE IMMINENT!!”
However, state officials later clarified that there was no immediate indication of dam failure.
As Helene moved inland,…