![Florida island starts long clean-up after Hurricane Helene [Video]](https://smallbizsage.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/mp_316316_0_66f8b8bc8fd2eimagejpg.jpg)
Michael Ward — who has lived on Treasure Island, off Florida’s Gulf coast, for 33 years — decided to ride out Hurricane Helene despite an order to evacuate. It was a decision he quickly regretted. Instead of going with his wife to a friend’s home inland, the 67-year-old Ward stayed put. As torrential rains led
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![Kubra Aykut, TikTok Influencer Who Married Herself and Died by Suicide at 26 [Video]](https://smallbizsage.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/mp_316310_0_kubraaykutjpg.jpg)
Kubra Aykut, a Turkish influencer famous for her viral “Wedding without a Groom,” tragically died by suicide at the age of 26. Her passing has shocked fans worldwide and sparked discussions about mental health and the pressures of social media.
![Deputy hailed as a hero after rescuing 12-year-old with Down syndrome from burning home [Video]](https://smallbizsage.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/mp_316291_0_https3A2F2Fdo0bihdskp9dycloudfrontnet2F092920242Ft2bde8bc9d13a484a8c3b2bbf787a1748namefile1280x7202000v31jpg.jpg)
The 12-year-old boy was trapped by smoke after barricading himself in the bathroom.
![Residents return home to Madeira Beach after Hurricane Helene [Video]](https://smallbizsage.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/mp_316288_0_d7921ed9ed014bc2bac4ebd5ea4865461140x641jpg.jpg)
While the beaches and barrier islands in Pinellas County reopened to residents, business owners and employees, many are returning to find that they lost everything.
![Beaches, barrier islands in Pinellas County begin rebuilding [Video]](https://smallbizsage.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/mp_316282_0_b47ad11fd09144ea9a76d77a178643c51140x641jpg.jpg)
Two days after Hurricane Helene, the beaches and barrier islands in Pinellas County reopened to residents, business owners and employees.
![Indiana homecoming for ‘AGT’ winner Richard Goodall [Video]](https://smallbizsage.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/mp_316276_0_e449a083130e4dbc840174a78beaff961140x641jpg.jpg)
Richard Goodall started the homecoming celebrations at the school where he first gained his fame as the “singing janitor.”
![Helene Update: North Carolina Faces ‘Most Significant’ Natural Disaster [Video]](https://smallbizsage.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/mp_316240_0_helenenorthcarolinajpg.jpg)
Heavy rains caused severe flooding and mudslides in the western part of the state, among other destruction.
![Duke Energy warns customers to expect multi-day outages following Helene [Video]](https://smallbizsage.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/mp_316182_0_f4bba442aa3757420a5fed929f0a5c3f.png)
Power outages caused by Hurricane Helene could leave people without power for multiple days, according to Duke Energy.
![Karnataka: Seven-year-old boy dies of injection overdose, doctor booked [Video]](https://smallbizsage.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/mp_316158_0_sevenyearoldboydiesinjectionoverdosedoctorbookedjpg.jpg)
A seven-year-old boy died allegedly due to an injection overdose in the Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka on Saturday.
![Davis Islands home destroyed by fire, storm surge during Helene [Video]](https://smallbizsage.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/mp_316146_0_c5ea50fde43c47b697b0cb57a24a1a7a1140x641jpg.jpg)
Hurricane Helene inundated Davis Islands with five to eight feet of storm surge during Hurricane Helene.
![Hernando Beach residents, business owners return to extensive damage [Video]](https://smallbizsage.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/mp_316134_0_50b6993fc5b0269213ef7425b689e081.jpg)
Hernando Beach residents and business owners returned to extensive damage to their properties Friday morning after Hurricane Helene. They spent the day assessing the condition of their homes and beginning the gutting process.
![US hurricane deaths rise to 44, fears of more catastrophic flooding [Video]](https://smallbizsage.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/mp_316110_0_66f4370b6acebimagejpg.jpg)
At least 44 people died across five US states battered by powerful storm Helene, authorities said Friday, after torrential flooding prompted emergency responders to launch massive rescue operations. Roads, homes and businesses were underwater — many of them destroyed — after Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane near the Florida state capital Tallahassee