Hurricane Helene left scenes of utter devastation in places that don’t normally have much to fear from hurricanes. One of the worst-hit communities was Asheville in western North Carolina, once seen as a “haven” from extreme weather, the Guardian reports. Scientists tell the New York Times that heavy rain in the Southeast from storm systems in the days before the hurricane likely made it more destructive in two ways: The soil was too saturated to absorb much more water, and the hurricane could have gained strength from what’s known as the “brown ocean effect.” Hurricanes usually gain strength …