Asheville, NC — Nearly a hundred lives have been lost in six states due to Hurricane Helene, which unleashed catastrophic flooding and destruction across the eastern United States. The death toll currently stands at 91 and is expected to climb as rescue and recovery operations continue.
The intense rainfall from Hurricane Helene shattered previous records, causing unprecedented flooding in and around Asheville, North Carolina. This historic deluge rendered the mountainous city virtually inaccessible, according to local officials.
During a recent press briefing, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper described the situation as an “unprecedented tragedy.” Governor Cooper highlighted that numerous residents were stranded due to roads blocked by floods and landslides, making them impassable and complicating rescue efforts.
The hurricane initially touched down in Florida as a Category 4 storm, before carving a destructive path northward. States such as Virginia and Tennessee also reported fatalities, though most deaths occurred in North Carolina, particularly in Buncombe County, where at least 30 people have perished.
Beyond the tragic loss of life, the hurricane’s impact on infrastructure has been severe, leaving over 2 million homes and businesses without power. South Carolina faced the most significant outages, where over 755,000 customers were without electricity. Georgia and North Carolina also reported substantial power failures, and tens of thousands more were affected in Florida and Virginia.
According to Deanne Criswell, head of FEMA, the level of flooding and landslide incidents in North Carolina is historic in scale. Despite preparations and the presence of disaster response teams, the severity of the situation posed exceptional challenges.
The threat of further damage looms as the National Weather Service issued warnings for potential excessive rainfall in the Central Appalachians, raising fears of additional flash floods in urban and low-lying areas.
Buncombe County officials disclosed that around 600 residents had yet to be accounted for by Sunday night. While some of these individuals are expected to be safe but unreachable due to the widespread power outages and disrupted cellular services, efforts are ongoing to establish contact and ensure their safety.
In addition to the ground-level hazards, airborne surveillance and rescue missions are being deployed to assess the full scope of the destruction and to aid those in hardest-hit regions.
As communities begin to grapple with the scale of devastation, the focus is shifting towards recovery and rebuilding processes, which are expected to take considerable time and resources. Local and federal agencies are coordinating relief efforts, acknowledging the long road to restoration that lies ahead.
Residents and authorities remain vigilant as the aftermath of Hurricane Helene continues to unfold, with updates on the recovery progress and any additional threats due to weather conditions being closely monitored.