On September 27, 2024, a meteorologist from FOX Weather channel shared a touching story of heroism during the havoc caused by the storm Helene.
As Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida on Thursday night, the weather rapidly deteriorated in the Atlanta area in the hours before dawn on Friday, putting millions of people at risk of deadly flooding. The city declared a flash flood emergency for the first time in its history that morning. Prior to this, Atlanta had recorded its highest rainfall in 104 years over the past three days.
FOX Weather meteorologist and local reporter Bob Van Dillen was on the scene braving the storm to report on the disaster. It was then that he heard a desperate cry for help from a woman trapped in her car near Peach Tree Creek.
Putting down his microphone, Van Dillen dialed 911. “I knew they were busy, so we waited for about five minutes. By then, the water had risen higher, and she was getting more panicked,” he said.
Standing at 6.1 feet tall, Van Dillen didn’t hesitate to wade through chest-deep water despite the swift current to reach the woman and carried her to safety through the floodwaters. His actions were captured on camera and went viral after being shared online.
“When I studied photojournalism in school, my teacher, the legendary John H. White, taught us: you are a human first, then a reporter,” he said. “I believe Bob Van Dillen received the same education.”
Despite the praise for his selfless bravery, Van Dillen remains humble, insisting that anyone in his position would have done the same.
In the end, the rescued woman’s husband came to take her away. “She’s safe,” Van Dillen said, “but the real hero now isn’t me, it’s how serious the flooding we’re seeing is.”
He mentioned that the water level at Peach Tree Creek reached the third-highest on record. Earlier, dozens of people were rescued from a building about a mile away from where he saved the woman. However, the death toll in Georgia caused by Helene continues to rise.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp stated that 11 people died in Georgia, including an emergency responder who was trying to save others.
Helene made landfall in a narrow stretch of Florida as a Category 4 hurricane at night and has since been downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane, currently considered a tropical storm. The areas it passed through saw roads submerged, putting residents at risk and leaving millions without power.
A mother of three in Steinhatchee, a coastal town in Florida, experienced six hurricanes and said Helene brought the worst flooding she had ever seen.
“There’s a boat in front of my house, and I was fishing in the yard,” Jules Carl told CNN on Friday morning.
Currently, most of the heavy rain in Atlanta has passed. However, as Helene moves towards Tennessee, more rainfall is expected on Friday.