Remembering Hurricane Helene: 230 lives lost, billions in damages

ATLANTA - It has been one year since Hurricane Helene tore across the Southeast, leaving behind devastation not seen since Hurricane Katrina. The Category 4 storm made landfall near Tampa, Florida, before tearing into South Georgia with punishing winds and flooding rains.

What we know:

The human toll was staggering. More than 230 people died across six states, including 33 in Georgia. Communities are still healing, with many families marking this week with memorials for loved ones lost.

Beyond the lives claimed, Helene decimated the state’s economy. A University of Georgia assessment estimated $6.5 billion in damage to agriculture and timber. Poultry houses, pecan orchards, and nurseries suffered some of the heaviest losses, leaving farmers with long recovery timelines that in many