HHS declares public health emergency in Georgia due to Hurricane Helene

(Reuters) - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra declared a public health emergency on Friday for the state of Georgia to address the health impact of hurricane Helene.

Additional emergency personnel and resources will be deployed in the region to augment state and local response efforts, the agency said.

The HHS had declared an emergency for Florida on Thursday. Helene is tied as the 14th most powerful hurricane to hit anywhere in the United States since records have been kept, and is the 7th most powerful to slam into Florida, according to data from the National Hurricane Center.

(Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)