Hurricane Helene Devastates North Carolina: 95 Dead, Hundreds Stranded as Flooding Worsens
Hurricane Helene has unleashed catastrophic damage across the Southeastern United States, leaving a death toll of at least 95 people and hundreds stranded in flood-ravaged North Carolina. The massive storm, which made landfall on Thursday, is the strongest hurricane on record to strike Florida’s Big Bend region, before sweeping through six states, including North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. The hardest-hit areas are still struggling with widespread flooding, power outages, and destroyed infrastructure, with emergency response teams working around the clock to rescue trapped residents and restore essential services.
Widespread Devastation Across Six States
The aftermath of Hurricane Helene has been felt across multiple states, with fatalities reported in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. North Carolina has suffered the highest number of deaths, with at least 36 fatalities reported by state officials. South Carolina follows with 25 deaths, including two firefighters who tragically lost their lives while responding to storm-related emergencies. In Georgia, 17 people have died, two of whom were killed by a tornado that struck Alamo during the storm. Florida, where Helene made its initial landfall, has reported 11 fatalities, including several who drowned in rising floodwaters. Virginia and Tennessee have also seen storm-related deaths, with four and two casualties, respectively.
The storm’s sheer force has turned entire communities into disaster zones.Hurricane Floodwaters have overtaken roads, leaving many neighborhoods inaccessible, while trees, vehicles, and debris have been swept away by powerful currents. Rescue operations are ongoing, with emergency teams using boats and helicopters to reach residents stranded by the rising waters.
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Communication Outages Leave Families Desperate
One of the most alarming challenges in the wake of Helene is the widespread communication outages affecting many of the hardest-hit areas. In Buncombe County, North Carolina, local authorities have received over 600 missing persons reports, as families remain unable to contact loved ones. County Manager Avril Pinder noted that many residents had no cell phone service or internet access, adding to the difficulty of locating the missing.
Despite the lack of communication, officials urge families not to lose hope. Craig Fugate, a former FEMA administrator, emphasized that being unreachable does not necessarily indicate the worst-case scenario. “People will be reunited once cell service is restored,” Fugate reassured the public. To address this issue, state telecommunications partners have activated disaster roaming, allowing phones from any carrier to connect to available networks, ensuring that emergency calls can still be made.
Road Closures and Power Outages Complicate Rescue Efforts
The severe flooding has also led to the closure of hundreds of roads across North and South Carolina. Around 300 roads in North Carolina are currently closed, including major highways and access routes’Hurricane. Another 150 roads are blocked in South Carolina, making it difficult for rescue teams to deliver supplies to affected communities or evacuate stranded residents Hurricane. In the city of Weaverville, North Carolina, residents are without power and running water, with officials working to restore services as quickly as possible.
Approximately 2.1 million power customers across the Southeast are still without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us. In South Carolina, Duke Energy’s president, Michael Callahan, explained that infrastructure repairs are needed before power can be fully restored. While utility crews are working around the clock, full restoration is not expected until later this week.
Heartbreaking Stories of Survival Emerge
As residents begin to return to their homes or shelters, many are sharing harrowing stories of their experiences during the storm. In Asheville, North Carolina, Stevie Hollander watched in horror as floodwaters nearly reached his second-floor apartment. “The water almost reached us, but thankfully it went down,” he said, describing how most of his neighbors on the first floor had evacuated. Others, however, had no choice but to huddle in higher apartments or seek refuge with friends and family.
In another part of North Carolina, Sofia Grace Kunst narrowly escaped a landslide while playing a game of Uno with friends in a dining hall. The landslide, which struck Black Mountain, shattered the windows and caved in the walls, forcing the group to flee to higher ground. Kunst described the scene as chaotic, with mud, trees, and rocks crashing into the hall just moments after the alarm was raised.
Long Road to Recovery
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the ongoing rescue and recovery efforts and is expected to visit the impacted areas in the coming days. However, his visit will only take place once emergency response operations stabilize to avoid disrupting rescue efforts. The federal government has also declared public health emergencies in North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia, allowing for additional federal aid and support to be deployed to the hardest-hit regions.
As residents and emergency crews continue to battle the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene, officials warn that the road to recovery will be long and challenging Hurricane. While the storm has weakened into a post-tropical cyclone, additional rain is expected over the next few days, potentially worsening conditions in already saturated areas. For now, the focus remains on saving lives and delivering essential supplies to those in need.
