UAE cautions citizens in US as Hurricane Helene Hits Land
As Hurricane Helene approaches the United States, UAE citizens living in Florida, South Carolina and Atlanta are being warned to stay cautious. The hurricane is expected to bring floods that could submerge homes and roads as it moves inland.
The embassy of the UAE in the United States urged its citizens to adhere to guidelines issued by the authorities. They also provided emergency contact numbers, 0097180044444 or 0097180024. Additionally, they recommended registering on Twajudi, a service offered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to ensure effective communication with Emiratis overseas.
Although Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida on Friday and weakened officials have stressed that the storm still poses a risk. Initially categorized as a Category hurricane with winds reaching up to 140 miles per hour (225 kilometers per hour) it has now been downgraded to a Category 1 with sustained winds of 90 miles per hour (145 kilometers per hour). Despite its reduced strength the storm has caused widespread damage in Florida and into Georgia.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) is consistently advising people in the storms path to find shelter due to the potential dangers posed by winds, storm surges and heavy rainfall. A report from the NHC highlights the seriousness of the situation, stating that it is extremely hazardous and life threatening with the storms impact reaching areas beyond its initial landfall.
Currently approximately 1.1 million individuals are facing outages with disruptions affecting over a million homes and businesses in Florida. Additionally in Georgia more than 90,000 residential and commercial properties are also without power. Across the country around 55 million people are under some form of weather alert including tornado warnings, in northern Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas as the storm moves northward.
The NHC has specifically warned about floods and landslides in the southern Appalachian region predicting rainfall amounts of up to 20 inches (51 cm). In the areas the National Weather Service anticipates that flooding caused by Helene could be the most severe, in a century making it one of the notable weather events, in recent memory.
Deanne Criswell, the leader of FEMA, pointed out that Helene is a significant event affecting regions from Florida to Tennessee. In Florida, officials particularly in Taylor County have underscored the seriousness of the situation urging those who disregarded evacuation orders to write their names on their bodies using markers for identification purposes in case of fatalities.
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida has deployed the National Guard to get ready for search and rescue missions with hundreds of members. He stressed that while the hurricanes size and trajectory are uncontrollable residents can take measures to safeguard themselves. DeSantis advised Floridians to treat the looming disaster seriously stating, "We cant control the intensity of this hurricane; what we can control is how we prepare to endure it safely."
With an extensive reach of about 500 miles (800 kilometers) Hurricane Helene is set to be one of the most potent hurricanes to hit the US in more than a year. The combination of a surge reaching heights of 20 feet (6 meters) in some areas and the storms strength poses significant threats, to residents infrastructure and local businesses. Local news outlets have been airing videos of homes and heavy rainfall, highlighting the storms effects.