A rainstorm expected only once every 1,000 years deluged parts of southern Appalachia on Wednesday night, with as much as 8 inches falling in a day’s time in Asheville, North Carolina. Now, the area awaits some of the most intense rainfall forecast from fast-moving Hurricane Helene. In some areas, Helene could dump an additional 6 to 12 inches of rain, according to the National Hurricane Center. Wind gusts could reach hurricane strength at hilltops. Asheville is nearly 400 miles from Florida’s Big Bend, where the hurricane is expected to make landfall Thursday night.

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Persons: Helene, “ We’re, ”, Andrew Kimball, ” Kimball Organizations: National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service, Greenville - Locations: Appalachia, Asheville , North Carolina, Greenville, Greenville - Spartanburg , South Carolina, Asheville, Florida’s Big Bend