Following Helene’s impact, deaths were reported in Georgia’s Wheeler, Pierce, and Laurens counties, as well as Tampa and Pinellas County on Thursday and early Friday. At least 18 people were killed in Florida and Georgia after Tropical Storm Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm Thursday night.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office reported five deaths. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri reported one death in Dunedin, two on Treasure Island, and two in Indian Rocks Beach. Gualtieri described some of the area as an impenetrable “warzone.” “It’s dangerous out there,” he explained. One person was killed while driving in Tampa when a sign fell into the road and struck their automobile. Tampa Fire & Rescue first reported the crash just before 8 p.m. Thursday, and Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed the death in a press conference late Friday night, encouraging people not to drive and to stay home.
According to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a person was killed in Dixie County when a tree fell on a residence. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp reported that 11 people died as a result of the storm across the state. Last night, a suspected tornado overturned a mobile home in Wheeler County, Georgia, killing two individuals, according to officials. Another was reported in Blackshear, Georgia, where a firefighter was killed by a tree that fell on his vehicle, according to the Pierce County Fire Department. Two more persons were confirmed killed Thursday morning in Laurens County, Georgia. One perished when a tree fell on a house, while another died in an automobile accident. The storm has claimed the life of one individual in South Carolina.
