Major storms such as Hurricane Helene, which obliterated towns and turned roads into rivers after surging inland from Florida last week, have a far longer and more devastating impact upon lives than previously thought, contributing to thousands of deaths up to 15 years after they have swept through, a new study has found.
In terms of lives lost, hurricanes are generally thought to be short, sharp events. More than 150 people are thought to have died across five states after Helene tore across the southern US as a category 4 storm, with fatalities caused by rising floodwaters, car crashes or falling trees and debris.
