Hurricane Helene was the deadliest tropical cyclone in the continental U.S. in 19 years and ranks among the nation's costliest weather disasters, just two findings of a just-released final report from the National Hurricane Center.

A week away from the six-month anniversary of Hurricane Helene, the National Hurricane Center has released its report on the horrific storm, finding it claimed the lives of 248 people and caused $78.7 billion in damage.

Helene grew to a tropical storm on Sept. 25 and the next day became Hurricane Helene, making landfall 10 miles southwest of Perry, Florida, on Sept. 27. It then made its way up through the