Hurricane Helene's Death Toll Climbs to 224. Here's How to Help Relief Efforts

A main street in Tarpon Springs, Fla. on Friday morning.Photo:Joe Raedle/Getty Joe Raedle/Getty Helene was a Category 4 storm when it made landfall around 11:10 p.m. local time near Perry, Fla., on Thursday, Sept. 26. In just a matter of hours, Helene delivered damaging wind gusts as well as “catastrophic, life-threatening, [and] record-breaking” flooding in many areas, especially the higher terrains of the southeastern Appalachians. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Hurricane Helene’s Death Toll Keeps Climbing. Here Are 6 of the Most Important Things to Know Right Now

A worker clears downed limbs in Perry, FL, after Hurricane Helene passed through on Friday, September 27, 2024.Photo:Ted Richardson/For The Washington Post via Getty Ted Richardson/For The Washington Post via Getty FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell tells PEOPLE Helene was “a unique storm,” delivering “different types of threats” to different areas — from “historic” storm surge in Florida to devastating flash floods in North Carolina. “You don’t get a lot of notice with these immediate flash flood warnings,” she says, But, she adds, until rain begins to fall, “it’s really hard to predict exactly which part of the communities are going to face the worst of it.

Hurricane Hunters Share Raw Video of Them Trying to Fly Through Milton: Watch

Hurricane hunters are risking their lives to trackMilton. On Monday, Oct. 7, theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)Hurricane Hunters shared footage on Facebook showing members of their team getting up close and personal with the mammoth storm. Researchers took viewers “inside the flight station aboard” aircraft WP-3D Orion, also known as Miss Piggy as they “flew straight into Hurricane #Milton!” A Miss Piggy stuffed animal was seen dangling from the dashboard in one video shared to the NOAA’s Facebook page.

Hurricane Kristy Strengthens into a Category 4 Storm Off Mexico. Where Is It Heading and When?

NOAA via AP Hurricane Kristy has strengthened into a Category 4 storm as it continues to move out into the Pacific Ocean, but it’s still not expected to impact land.Kristy firstbecame a tropical stormoff the west coast of Mexico on Monday, Oct. 21, andstrengthened into a hurricanejust over 24 hours later, according to the National Hurricane Center.As of Thursday, Oct. 24, maximum wind speeds associated with Kristy are near 150 mph as the storm shifts to the west, away from the mainland United States and Mexico, according to the NHC’slatest bulletin.

Hurricane Milton Kills at Least 12 as Millions Remain Without Power in Florida: Full Recap

David Decker/Shutterstock What You Need to Know Hurricane Miltonmade landfall in the U.S. on the western coast of Floridaon Wednesday, Oct. 9, after passing through the Gulf of Mexico. The National Hurricane Center projected that Milton would bring “life-threatening” hazards to the western coast up and down central and southern Florida, centered on the Tampa Bay area. The regionis still recovering from Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in northern Florida’s Big Bend region late on Sept.