A squally tropical wave was noted east of the Leeward Islands on September 21st.  Moving west-northwest,
a disturbed area of weather developed into a tropical storm 300 miles northeast of Hispaniola on the 23rd.  The
cyclone strengthened, becoming a hurricane on the 24th.  The hurricane turned northwest and slowed as it
approached the coast of the Carolinas.   The storm recurved just offshore the coast of the Carolinas, bringing
heavy rain and high winds to the North Carolina coast.  The system accelerated east-northeast thereafter, moving
into the North Atlantic shipping lanes.  The graphics below the storm total rainfall for Helene.  The rainfall across
the Mid-Atlantic and New England states occurred as Helene's moisture was intercepted by a frontal boundary
to its north.