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| 'I swam out of my home' - Floridians reel from Helene | 'I swam out of my home' - Floridians reel from Helene |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Raging waters and rescues as Hurricane Helene hits Florida | Raging waters and rescues as Hurricane Helene hits Florida |
| Raging waters and rescues as Hurricane Helene hits Florida | Raging waters and rescues as Hurricane Helene hits Florida |
| Published27 September 2024, 04:00 BST | Published27 September 2024, 04:00 BST |
| A wall of seawater from the deadly Hurricane Helene forced Briana Gagnier and her family to swim out of their home on Florida’s Gulf Coast. | A wall of seawater from the deadly Hurricane Helene forced Briana Gagnier and her family to swim out of their home on Florida’s Gulf Coast. |
| Ms Gagnier, who lives in Holmes Beach north of Sarasota, had stayed behind with her family to protect their one-storey property, placing sandbags at every door and moving belongings on to tall furniture to keep them dry. They even used towels in a vain effort to stem the storm surge. | Ms Gagnier, who lives in Holmes Beach north of Sarasota, had stayed behind with her family to protect their one-storey property, placing sandbags at every door and moving belongings on to tall furniture to keep them dry. They even used towels in a vain effort to stem the storm surge. |
| Then came a loud bang. Their garage door broke open violently - caving in to the powerful deluge of Helene. Water quickly rose to their shoulders, forcing them to escape. | Then came a loud bang. Their garage door broke open violently - caving in to the powerful deluge of Helene. Water quickly rose to their shoulders, forcing them to escape. |
| "Everyone was screaming and panicking," she told the BBC. "Whatever your worst idea of what this storm is - that is what we're seeing." | "Everyone was screaming and panicking," she told the BBC. "Whatever your worst idea of what this storm is - that is what we're seeing." |
| She and her family ran across the street to a neighbour’s house, where they ended up rescuing two elderly people whose home had burst into flames. | She and her family ran across the street to a neighbour’s house, where they ended up rescuing two elderly people whose home had burst into flames. |
| She said the blaze appeared to be linked to a golf cart battery. | She said the blaze appeared to be linked to a golf cart battery. |
| Looking around, she said she saw couches, chairs, a bench and even a car float by. The water was above her mailbox for part of the evening, she added. | Looking around, she said she saw couches, chairs, a bench and even a car float by. The water was above her mailbox for part of the evening, she added. |
| "I just can't believe this is real. The eye of the storm didn't even hit us straight on," said Ms Gagnier. "This island is completely devastated. Everywhere I look, devastation." | "I just can't believe this is real. The eye of the storm didn't even hit us straight on," said Ms Gagnier. "This island is completely devastated. Everywhere I look, devastation." |
| She is one of many Floridians along the state’s Big Bend Coast who are reeling from the aftermath of Helene, which forecasters said was unusually large for a Gulf hurricane. | She is one of many Floridians along the state’s Big Bend Coast who are reeling from the aftermath of Helene, which forecasters said was unusually large for a Gulf hurricane. |
| The deadly category four storm made landfall in Florida on Thursday evening, before weakening to a tropical storm as it churned inland through Georgia and into North Carolina. | The deadly category four storm made landfall in Florida on Thursday evening, before weakening to a tropical storm as it churned inland through Georgia and into North Carolina. |
| There were 11 known fatalities from the storm in Georgia alone, with at least two other people killed in Florida and two more in North Carolina. | There were 11 known fatalities from the storm in Georgia alone, with at least two other people killed in Florida and two more in North Carolina. |
| Four millions households were without electricity by Friday lunchtime across the south-eastern US. | Four millions households were without electricity by Friday lunchtime across the south-eastern US. |
| Streets in Georgia underwater as deadly Storm Helene rolls north: Follow Live | Streets in Georgia underwater as deadly Storm Helene rolls north: Follow Live |
| Streets in Georgia underwater as deadly Storm Helene rolls north: Follow Live | Streets in Georgia underwater as deadly Storm Helene rolls north: Follow Live |
| In pictures: Hurricane Helene | |
| In pictures: Hurricane Helene | |
| Briana Gagnier says the streets look like white water rapids | Briana Gagnier says the streets look like white water rapids |
| Briana Gagnier says the streets look like white water rapids | Briana Gagnier says the streets look like white water rapids |
| A man and his dog were rescued by a US Coast Guard helicopter after his 36ft sailboat took on water. | A man and his dog were rescued by a US Coast Guard helicopter after his 36ft sailboat took on water. |
| The man, whom the Coast Guard did not name, was sailing 25 miles off the coast of Sanibel Island when he was caught by the hurricane. He called Channel 16 - the emergency channel for marine radios - to summon help. | The man, whom the Coast Guard did not name, was sailing 25 miles off the coast of Sanibel Island when he was caught by the hurricane. He called Channel 16 - the emergency channel for marine radios - to summon help. |
| But thousands of water rescues were also carried out inland throughout flooded neighbourhoods, including in Atlanta, Georgia, where an apartment building was evacuated amid flooding. | But thousands of water rescues were also carried out inland throughout flooded neighbourhoods, including in Atlanta, Georgia, where an apartment building was evacuated amid flooding. |
| ML Ferguson, a resident of Anna Maria Island, Florida, told the BBC the roads around had morphed into rivers amid a storm surge of up to 10ft (3m). | ML Ferguson, a resident of Anna Maria Island, Florida, told the BBC the roads around had morphed into rivers amid a storm surge of up to 10ft (3m). |
| When she returned to her home late on Thursday, she found it, too, had been deluged. | When she returned to her home late on Thursday, she found it, too, had been deluged. |
| "Oh my gosh, it's literally up to the second step," she told the BBC in a phone interview, before quickly hanging up and rushing to stop more water from coming in. | "Oh my gosh, it's literally up to the second step," she told the BBC in a phone interview, before quickly hanging up and rushing to stop more water from coming in. |
| Watch: Sailor and his dog rescued by coast guard during Hurricane Helene | Watch: Sailor and his dog rescued by coast guard during Hurricane Helene |
| Watch: Sailor and his dog rescued by coast guard during Hurricane Helene | Watch: Sailor and his dog rescued by coast guard during Hurricane Helene |
| In Tallahassee, Florida, some residents like Cainnon Gregg had hunkered down to ride out the storm. Mr Gregg, who stayed at a friend’s shelter, said he wanted to remain close to the water to check on his oyster farm as soon as it was safe to do so. | In Tallahassee, Florida, some residents like Cainnon Gregg had hunkered down to ride out the storm. Mr Gregg, who stayed at a friend’s shelter, said he wanted to remain close to the water to check on his oyster farm as soon as it was safe to do so. |
| He had spent the last few days trying to protect it by sinking it into the ocean bed. | He had spent the last few days trying to protect it by sinking it into the ocean bed. |
| His farm was once destroyed before, during Hurricane Michael - a category five that hit the Florida panhandle in 2018 - and he said he was determined to learn from that lesson. | His farm was once destroyed before, during Hurricane Michael - a category five that hit the Florida panhandle in 2018 - and he said he was determined to learn from that lesson. |
| “Hopefully, and nothing is for certain, the farm is sitting nice and safe on the bottom,” he said ahead of the storm. “But anything could happen.” | “Hopefully, and nothing is for certain, the farm is sitting nice and safe on the bottom,” he said ahead of the storm. “But anything could happen.” |
| Water was rising on ML Ferguson's porch on Thursday | Water was rising on ML Ferguson's porch on Thursday |
| Water was rising on ML Ferguson's porch on Thursday | Water was rising on ML Ferguson's porch on Thursday |
| Evacuees in a Florida emergency shelter await news | Evacuees in a Florida emergency shelter await news |
| Evacuees in a Florida emergency shelter await news | Evacuees in a Florida emergency shelter await news |
| Related topics | Related topics |
| Florida | Florida |
| Hurricanes | Hurricanes |
| Severe weather | Severe weather |