Southeast Reels from Hurricanes: Helene and Milton’s Devastation

The US Southeast continues to face significant challenges in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which struck in rapid succession in late September and early October. Hurricane Helene resulted in over 200 fatalities, marking it as the deadliest mainland US hurricane since Katrina. Hurricane Milton, while having a lower death toll at 35, virtually ties Helene for total damages, making the combined damages from both hurricanes estimated at just under $175 billion.

In response, the federal government has approved nearly $2 billion in aid for six affected states, and FEMA has deployed over 1,400 personnel to assist with recovery efforts. State governments have also mobilized National Guard units and established emergency hotlines to support residents.

As communities begin the arduous process of rebuilding, many residents remain without power or running water. Despite these hardships, there are stories of resilience and solidarity. In devastated western North Carolina, volunteers are using mules to deliver supplies to remote areas as restoration contractors work tirelessly to repair homes and businesses.

 

Hurricane Helene Leaves Destruction Across US Southeast

Hurricane Helene, the first major hurricane to strike the US this year, left billions of dollars in damage and dozens dead across the US Southeast. The fast-moving, large storm made landfall in the Florida Big Bend region as a category 4 storm before quickly moving into Georgia, snapping trees and damaging buildings with its high winds. Coastal cities like Cedar Key, Florida, were inundated with record-high storm surge, destroying many buildings not built on stilts. The surge in Tampa, hundreds of miles away from where the storm made landfall, also exceeded the surge from Idalia back in 2023.

The storm quickly moved north, dumping torrential rainfall in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Dams in North Carolina nearly reached their breaking point as flood waters moved into population centers, with the city of Asheville, North Carolina becoming isolated from surrounding areas by floodwaters. Videos have shown houses floating away after they were swept off their foundations. One town, Chimney Rock, was nearly completely wiped away by flooding.

Helene, the second major Atlantic hurricane of this season, quickly intensified from a tropical storm in the western Caribbean, dumping rain on eastern Cuba and on the Yucatan Peninsula. The warm ocean waters of the western Caribbean and eastern Gulf of Mexico allowed the storm’s windspeeds to reach 140 mph at landfall, and the storm’s large size allowed it to move high storm surge into a wide area.

Another group of storms is developing close to where Helene first formed in the western Caribbean and may form into another storm this week. Its exact track is still unknown.

 

How the Trump-Biden Race is Shaping Up on Election Day Eve

While former Vice President Joe Biden holds a solid lead in nationwide polling and more moderate but consistent leads in several crucial battleground states, few observers are completely counting out President Donald Trump's ability to pull off a win in tomorrow's election, remembering his victory in 2016 that flew in the face of battleground state polling.

This how we see the state of the race currently:

In this scenario Biden is favored to sweep the upper Great Lakes region, retaking Wisconsin and Michigan that Trump won in 2016 and maintaining Minnesota in the Democratic column. In addition to Minnesota, Biden seems in a strong position to win all the other states Hillary Clinton won in 2016, with New Hampshire and Nevada the other two Trump may have a decent chance to peel off, but likely only if he already has enough electoral votes from other battleground states.

Trump meanwhile has to content with the increasing competitiveness of traditionally solid Republican states of (in order of decreasing chance of a Democratic win) Arizona, Georgia, and Texas. 

Of course, the traditional battlegrounds of Florida, Ohio, and Iowa remain a tossup for either candidate, with Trump having a clearer polling advantage in the latter two than in Florida. However, Trump's polling strength among Hispanics in Florida along with the relatively strong Republican performance in the state in the 2018 midterm election could point to the ability to keep the state red.

North Carolina, a traditionally Republican state, has continued to poll with essentially no advantage to either candidate, though its competitive Senate race has seen an advantage for the Democrat over the incumbent Republican. Pennsylvania, considered a battleground but also a consistent Democratic state except for 2016, has given Biden a slightly stronger lead, but still can be won by Trump.

Nebraska and Maine, which split their electoral votes by congressional district and at-large winner, may both have split votes this election, the first time both states have split their votes in the same election. Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, home of Omaha and portions of suburban Sarpy County, is tilting toward Biden in polling. Maine's 2nd Congressional District is a tossup, with perhaps a slight lean toward Trump. Trump won both last year.

If we had to choose who will in each state/congressional district:

Agree? Disagree? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Images from 270towin.com

With Billy Graham’s Death, Many Remember His Legacy

Graham in 1966

The Reverend Billy Graham, who preached before hundreds of thousands in persona during his ministry, as well as to hundreds of millions more through broadcast feeds, died last week on February 21 as the age 99. Graham was born on November 7, 1918 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and began his ministry in the 1940s. He began to be noted for his massive crusades, preaching around the worlds in tents and stadiums, often accompanied by the singer George Beverley Shea, who, by virtue of singing at Graham’s crusades, sang to more people live than any other person in history. Shea died in 2013 at 104.

Graham, who was known for trying to avoid the political battles that other preachers, such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, fought, nonetheless was known for his close relationships with many US presidents, having met every president from Truman to Trump (though he met with Trump in 2013 before he became president). He was known especially for his close relationship with Richard Nixon, a bond which would land him in controversy years later once tapes were revealed of conversations between the two in which Graham said derogatory comments about Jews and their control on the media. Graham had since profusely apologized for his remarks to Jewish leaders.

Graham’s health began to fail in the mid 2000s, preaching his last crusade in New York in 2005, his first being in 1947. Graham continued to make limited appearances, speaking with President Obama in 2010 and attending his 95th birthday party in 2013. Graham had been steadily losing his vision and hearing in the years prior to his death.

Graham was preceded in death by his wife Ruth, who died in 2007. His son Franklin Graham has long been the head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Organization and, unlike his father, has taken a more active role in the political arena and is known as a close ally of President Trump.

Graham’s funeral will take place in Charlotte on Friday. Billy Graham has been lying in the Capitol Rotunda, the first to do so since the late Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI) in 2012 and an honor often reserved for only the most honorable Americans, especially in the case of private citizens.