The death toll from Hurricane Helene continues to climb as rescue efforts persist across the Southeast. Hard-hit regions, including parts of western North Carolina, are receiving aid from various states as emergency crews work to reach isolated communities devastated by catastrophic flooding.
Over 160 people are now confirmed dead in six states – Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. Helene is now the second-deadliest hurricane to strike the mainland U.s. in the last 55 years, topped only by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the most since Hurricane Camille hit the Gulf Coast in August 1969.
President Joe Biden announced he will travel to the region on Wednesday and is expected to visit Asheville, North Carolina, to get a firsthand look at the devastation. Biden is also expected to visit Florida and Georgia.
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At least 70 people are now confirmed dead in North Carolina, and hundreds of people remain unaccounted for due to the lack of power and communication access. Dozens of those deaths have come in Buncombe County, which is home to the city of Ashville.
Communities in western North Carolina were hit especially hard, with catastrophic flooding destroying hundreds of roads and bridges. Scenes from small towns such as Chimney Rock, Swannanoa and Biltmore Village show entire sections of the region either destroyed or washed away.
Stories of heartbreak and loss fill the close-knit communities as a barrage of devastating images come in, capturing the scale of the destruction caused by what some call "biblical" flooding.
An Asheville mother tearfully recounted how she lost her 7-year-old son and her two parents when the floodwaters overwhelmed her neighborhood, sending her family to the roof of their home as they scrambled for safety.
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However, the floodwaters eventually broke apart the home, sending all four into the river.
"(My son) reached for something past flesh, past human, past anything that even grown adults, I think, would reach for," Meghan Drye said. "My son called out to the one God Almighty. And I think at that moment he was rescued, and he became my hero, and I think all of them carried me through that moment."
In Avery County, a harrowing video provided by Vlado Novakovic showed his home being swept away in Newland by the powerful currents on Friday.
Others narrowly escaped the wrath of the flash floods. A couple in Lake Luna had to run for it when flood waters started pouring into town.
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Access to several areas has been cut off, preventing crews from getting much-needed supplies like food, water and fuel to residents.
On Tuesday, a portion of Interstate 40 East out of Buncombe County was reopened, but several locations of the highway remain closed outside the Asheville area, including a section that was washed away near the Tennessee state line.
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"Our emergency responders are continuing to rescue people and rush aid to the mountains," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said on Tuesday. "The challenges are immense, but our joint response effort has and will continue to be massive."
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Cooper activated hundreds of National Guard personnel, and search and rescue teams from as far as Colorado and New Hampshire have descended upon the region to assist.
So far, more than 500 people have been rescued while hundreds of pallets of food and water have been brought in. More than 1,100 people have filled dozens of shelters, and officials say they’re in the process of opening additional facilities to house those with nowhere to go for safety.
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While repairs to roads and other infrastructure continue, Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder said distribution of food and water began Monday afternoon.
"A one-day supply of food and water will be available to households," she said.
More than 800 Federal Emergency Management Agency staff, along with distribution centers and equipment, have been deployed across the states that were impacted by Helene.
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The shortage of fuel was leading to long lines at gas stations as tensions started to run high.
Local media reported arguments breaking out in the long lines among residents who were no doubt exhausted and running out of options while desperately seeking help. The Sheriff’s Office was considering posting deputies at gas stations to help prevent more arguments.
While crews are trying to repair those roads, helicopters have been able to start dropping supplies to those who remain isolated until routes can be reopened.
"There are helicopters that are very active. We saw those when we came in last night," FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray said. "And yet, there are still people in dire straits in need. It’s a situation right now that is still very, very complicated and fluid."
More than 100 people required rescuing in northeastern Tennessee from Helene’s floods. At least nine people have died, and others remain missing as search efforts continue.
At Impact Plastics in Erwin, two people died and five others were rescued by a National Guard helicopter crew during the flooding.
Erwin was devastated when the Nolichucky River overwhelmed the town with record high water levels, at one point trapping dozens of patients on the roof of the hospital, and sparking fears of a dam collapse.
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"Our community is in a state of shock and grief as we come to terms with the destruction caused by the flood. It's heartbreaking to see the loss of life and the devastation to people's homes and businesses," Erwin resident Karen Tipton told FOX Weather. "The floods have not only caused physical damage, but also emotional and financial damage to our close-knit community."
In Johnson County, crews are working to clear roads packed with thick sludge after Rome Creek surged above 30 feet, flooding the valley.
Small businesses are working to help flood victims by collecting donations and supplies to bring to hard-hit areas.
At least 25 people were killed in Georgia when Hurricane Helene made its trek across portions of the eastern and central U.S. last week, and cleanup efforts there are well underway.
Atlanta saw its first-ever Flash Flood Emergency due to the record rain across the region, and power is slowly being restored.
The damage in Augusta is widespread, with trees and other debris still lying across roads and on homes and vehicles.
"It’s my house," Crystal Watson told FOX 5 Atlanta Reporter Tyler Fingert. "I’ve lived here for my daughter’s entire life."
She said that when Hurricane Helene was impacting the area, four trees went crashing down onto her home, narrowly missing two bedrooms where people were sleeping.
"Just looking at my house, I just feel thankful because we’re all OK," she said. "We’re all OK, we’re able to stay here. We’re able to sleep here at night. And I know that it’s probably a lot worse for other people."
Damage isn’t only localized to Augusta, however.
On Monday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp got a bird’s-eye view of the devastation.
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"This hurricane, it looks like a 250-mile-wide tornado hit," he said.
Among the dead in Georgia are a 27-year-old mother and her 1-month-old twin boys who died when a tree fell onto their mobile home outside Augusta.
Kemp said he’s working with federal partners to get help to areas that need it most.
"This storm literally spared no one," he said.
Original article source: Helene death toll surpasses 160 as search for missing in North Carolina continues
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