After the Storm: Assessing the Environmental Damage Caused by Hurricane Helene

Hurricane Helene, the deadliest hurricane to hit mainland United States since Katrina in 2005, has taken more than 200 lives with hundreds more unaccounted for, and at least $30 billion in property damage expected. It may take years for the impacted areas to fully recover from the devastation caused last week. Climate change is worsening rapidly. Long-term financial and ecological consequences are already being charted. But what about the wildlife and environmental impacts that are not reported on? 

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On September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with winds over 140 mph (225 km/h), whipping right into the Western corner of Florida. The hurricane continued its path of mass destruction through Georgia, then to the Carolinas and Tennessee. Impacts of this roaring disaster could be felt all the way in the Appalachian Mountains. North Carolina was hit the hardest, with massive landslides and flood surges that effectively cut off the entire western state. 

This devastating event underscores the urgent need to understand the connection between global warming and the increasing unpredictability of hurricanes. 

As ocean temperatures rise, the intensity and erratic behavior of storms like Helene become more pronounced, threatening both human populations and wildlife habitats. The long-term impacts on coastal ecosystems and infrastructure will require comprehensive strategies for adaptation and resilience. The road to recovery will be hefty.

Global Warming Plays a Major Factor

While this storm was somewhat expected, the impacts and distance of devastation was nearly impossible to predict. Climate change has quickly turned the hand of understanding how natural disasters will be calculated, especially in areas with constantly changing weather like the Gulf Coast, where Helene grew intense strength and power from the increasingly hot ocean temperatures. 

Helene marked the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which commenced on June 1. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has forecasted an above-average season this year, driven by record-high ocean temperatures.

In North Carolina, flooding reached levels that were not seen in over a century. In Atlanta, neighborhoods were completely submerged and only the roofs of cars were visible. Residents that did not evacuate had to resort to sleeping on their roofs, floating down highways in rafts or floats that were once used as pools. Over the course of 48 hours, the city experienced more than 11 inches of rain, the highest two-day total since records began in 1878.

Development on floodplains in destroyed regions from the hurricane played another heavy role into exasperating the impacts. “The tragic flood event in the southeast U.S. is a poignant example of the confluence of multiple factors, including development in floodplains, inadequate infrastructure maintenance and management, and the specter of climate change, whose compounding effect can amplify the disaster,” said Manoochehr Shirzaei, an associate professor of geophysics at Virginia Tech.

Observational data and climate models both show that the frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events have been increasing and are projected to rise further. This trend emphasizes the urgent need for adaptive strategies to address the impacts of these intensified weather extremes, reflecting the larger global challenge of climate change.

The massive political disbelief and denial of climate change recorded in many areas affected by Helene are an almost exact match to maps of residents that did not evacuate before the hurricane made landfall, even after multiple posted warnings, house visits, and sirens. Climate denialism is real, and is directly affecting thousands of families and individuals in the South. 

With another Category 5 hurricane – Hurricane Milton – expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday, many experts are concerned about how many will be impacted again due to their own political standing on how dangerous these hurricanes can be in the 21st century  – stubborn in their own thoughts to not see what is, quite literally, coming at them.

Overall Impacts from Helene 

Death tolls are still rising, with families and communities reeling, not ready to start the path towards rebuilding their lives. Not only this, but hundreds of thousands if not millions of animals, livestock, and endangered species from both land and water environments have been affected by Helene.

NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, has been severely impacted by Hurricane Helene. Their archives, including previous climate and weather data, geophysical information, and climate reports are all “currently inaccessible,” showing that Helene not only impacted physical borders, but technological data and crucial information that can help us analyze current impacts and predict future implications.

Within the communities impacted, cell towers and all communication going outwards is not sendable or receivable, creating a massive cut-off from the rest of the world. Not being able to call for help or let family members from other parts of the country know they are safe is a massive threat to their safety, and is contributing to the death toll and missing persons list. For many individuals living in lower income communities, older citizens, or residents with medical conditions, this cut off is critical to their own health and well-being. 

Storm surges wiped out entire neighborhoods, with nothing but belongings and plywood floating in the swollen coastlines. Experts are worried about the debris flow that is to come this week. “To me, the biggest concerns around here are debris flows, which are very wet, very fast moving and can travel long distances,” Brad Johnson, who studies landslides and erosion at Davidson College, emphasized. 

Johnson added that the debris flows can travel over a mile, carrying rocks, trees and other hazards, contributing to further damage and more evacuations.

Hurricane’s Toll on Manatee Populations

Displacement and extinction are two major factors that scientists and animal experts should be focusing on in the road to recovery from Hurricane Helene. Manatees in particular, protected by Florida under state law, have been widely left stranded or separated from their respective bodies of water by the hurricane. Manatees are well-equipped to handle the state’s extreme weather events. However, they still face considerable risks during severe storms such as storm surges that can push them far inland into unfamiliar areas, where they may become trapped as the water recedes.

In previous years, manatees have been found stranded in dry bays or even golf course ponds post hurricanes. According to the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida, hurricanes can also devastate seagrass beds, which are their primary food source. 

While Hurricane Helene did not cause significant damage to these vital habitats, debris flow and increased storm surge could still impact them.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) urged the public not to attempt to rescue stranded manatees and instead contact them to report the animal’s locations to officials.

Wildlife and Ecosystems in Crisis

Most of the species impacted by the hurricane are livestock, unable to escape or save themselves from being locked in factory farms. Factory farming facilities, with often windowless sheds, are especially at risk during natural disasters. When flooding occurs or strong winds strike these large, inadequately built structures, the animals inside face slim chances of survival.

Evacuating farmed animals, particularly on the scale required for industrial operations, is rarely included in emergency plans. Thus, these helpless animals are left to endure suffering in conditions that could have been avoided.

Reports and videos have already surfaced of manatees stranded on roads, mass die-offs of fish due to lack of oxygen in the water from surface water push, and turtles and birds dying trying to protect their ground nests. According to Maia McGuire, a marine biologist at the University of Florida, hurricanes can lead to elevated tides that flood nests, contribute to beach erosion, and leave these turtle nests exposed to drying out or becoming more susceptible to predators.

Other creatures, not commonly known to migrate far away like bears, snakes, or even burrowing owls, are all exposed to possible displacement by the hurricane’s path. Many tamed pets, including dogs, were left behind in cages or backyards while their families evacuated without them. The current death toll of all wildlife is unknown but could likely be in the millions.

The environmental impacts of Helene are far from over, with millions of acres of farmland and crops, forests, estuaries and coastlines completely mowed over.

The harsh reality of conservation and rescue crews targeting ecosystems and habitats last in their list of priorities makes the bounce-back from storms and natural disasters even harder for so many areas in the country. 

While some ecosystems, like coral reefs or marshes, are prone to heavy storms and actually feed off of the storm surges and waves to act as a natural barrier, others completely die off and cannot grow back, leaving their inhabitants helpless and lost within a broken environment.

Experts urge the public not to handle any wild animals or livestock, and instead contact their local or state Wildlife Support Hotline or local officials. Interfering without previous experience or knowledge of certain animals, especially if they are endangered, can result in additional stress to that creature.

Looking Ahead 

With recovery efforts across the country still taking place and only intensifying, the trudge forward will be tiring and brutal. Evacuation crews, first responders, and millions of volunteers will travel down to support the towns and communities impacted, working night and day to help.

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, these dedicated teams are not only focused on immediate needs like food, shelter, and medical assistance but are also laying the groundwork for long-term recovery. 

Organizations such as the Red Cross and local disaster response teams have been coordinating extensive relief efforts, setting up temporary shelters and distributing essential supplies. 

Additionally, community members are coming together to support one another, sharing resources and expertise to rebuild homes and restore vital infrastructure. As the affected areas begin to recover, the resilience and solidarity of both local and national efforts will play a crucial role in revitalizing these communities.

The main question is: Do people see this as a turning point to acknowledge climate change, and are they willing to do something about it? 

The need to recognize this global emergency of climate change and global warming impacts is high but millions will turn their heads for various reasons, mostly due to self-interest and ignorance. The time has come to start having those conversations on these topics. It can start with one person and flourish from there, so do not stop fighting back for the health of humans, our wildlife, and our planet. 

For opportunities to volunteer time, give back to relief support, hotlines, and more information on Hurricane Helene, please visit FEMA’s website. 

Featured image: AP via Free Malaysia Today (CC BY 4.0).