New report reveals catastrophic toll of US hurricane disaster: 'The deadliest hurricane ... since Katrina'

NOAA's National Hurricane Center released its final report on the devastating Hurricane Helene, the deadliest hurricane in the contiguous U.S. of the past 20 years.

What's happening?

What stands out among the alarming things reported in NOAA's final report on Helene is the number of lives lost during the destruction wrought by the historic hurricane.

"Helene is responsible for at least 249 fatalities in the United States (including at least 175 direct deaths), making it the deadliest hurricane in the contiguous U.S. since Katrina in 2005," the report stated, per Watauga Democrat.

Helene killed nearly as many people as 2012's Hurricane Sandy and 2017's Hurricane Harvey combined. The majority of the deaths from Helene, 94 out of 175, were the result of rainfall-induced flooding and the subsequent landslides and debris flows it caused. The storm's powerful winds caused a substantial number of deaths.

"Helene's winds are responsible for 65 of the direct deaths — the most direct wind deaths from any tropical cyclone in the continental United States going back to at least 1963," according to the NOAA report. Most of those deaths, 61 out of 65, were caused by falling trees during the storm.

North Carolina had the most direct deaths, with a total of 85, followed by 28 in Georgia and 26 in South Carolina.

Watch now: How did Hurricane Helene wreak havoc so far inland?

Why is this analysis of Helene important?

World Weather Attribution determined that our overheating planet was a key driver of the deadly impacts of Hurricane Helene. WWA researchers analyzed the impacts of the storm on inland and coastal regions.

"In both regions, the rainfall was about 10% heavier due to climate change, and equivalently the rainfall totals over the 2-day and 3-day maxima were made about 40% and 70% more likely by climate change, respectively," the WWA report concluded. The report also noted our overheating planet made Helene's maximum wind speeds around 11% more intense.

What's being done about decreasing the influence of our warming world on hurricanes?

At least 2,700 people in the Southeast U.S. had to be rescued from the high water supercharged Helene brought to the region. The NOAA report concluded the storm caused an estimated nearly $80 billion in damage to the country. Helene now stands as the seventh-costliest U.S. hurricane after Katrina, Harvey, Ian, Maria, Sandy, and Ida.

Using your voice to spread the word on how our warming world is making storms worse can help raise awareness about the devastating impacts of an overheating planet. It is important to learn about critical climate issues and then share that information by talking with our family and friends about them.