Hurricane Helen: Buildings in North Carolina washed down river and smashed into debris
The death toll from Hurricane Helen in the southeastern United States has exceeded 200, and rescue teams continue to search for survivors.
More than half of the deaths were in North Carolina, where entire communities were uprooted and devastated by the worst mainland storm since Katrina in 2005, which killed more than 1,800 people.
Almost a week after Helen made landfall, hundreds of people are still missing and 780,000 homes are without power.
The increase in deaths comes as President Joe Biden continues his two-day regional tour, visiting Florida and Georgia on Thursday.
Biden on Thursday gave a bird’s-eye view of the damage in Tallahassee, Florida, where the hurricane made landfall last week as a Category 4 storm.
Later, speaking in Ray City, Georgia, Mr. Biden told residents:
“We’ll be here until you recover.”
The president approved federal disaster assistance for survivors in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Tens of thousands of people in North Carolina are without running water, especially in the mountainous region of Asheville, which was hardest hit by the storm.
“I feel like I’ve survived the apocalypse,” Nicole Rojas, a resident of Vilas, North Carolina, told the BBC.
Jerry and Marcia Savage, an elderly couple, died in their beds after a tree fell on their South Carolina home, their grandson told The Associated Press. The two were reportedly spotted hugging each other.
Hundreds of roads remain closed, hampering efforts to send aid to hard-hit communities.
Civilians have helped distribute aid in a variety of ways, including by mule and civilian helicopters.
Mountain Mule Packer Ranch sent a team of mules to help move thousands of supplies to remote communities.
According to mule porter Michele Tobeler, the “steady-footed” herd animals are well versed in backcountry trails and can traverse broken asphalt in ways that cars cannot. He says it can be done.
“They are perfectly prepared for mountain conditions,” she says.
So far, the team of nine mules has delivered hundreds of pounds of insulin, baby formula, diapers, canned goods, cleaning supplies and animal feed, she told BBC News, adding that it was the largest they had ever faced. He added that the challenge was due to animals. Deep mud left by floods.
A North Carolina prison relocated 800 inmates Wednesday due to a lack of power and water, according to the state Department of Corrections. More than 2,000 prisoners were transferred from other prisons earlier this week.
The inmate’s family told the Asheville Citizen-Times they have not been able to contact their loved ones for more than a week.
More than 6,700 Army and Air National Guard members from 16 states are supporting the response at the scene, the National Guard said.
The president sent 1,000 active-duty soldiers to support aid efforts.
Former President Donald Trump toured affected areas in Georgia earlier this week.
More rain is expected in parts of the Gulf Coast and Florida in the coming days, potentially complicating recovery efforts.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned earlier this week that the Federal Emergency Management Agency would struggle to provide assistance if another storm hits the United States in the coming months.
The Biden administration has shipped more than 8.8 million meals, 7.4 million liters of water, 150 generators and 225,000 tarps to the region, Mayorkas said.
The Atlantic hurricane season continues through the end of November, with two more storms currently forming.
Hurricane Kirk, a Category 4 storm, is expected to cause dangerous surf conditions in Florida and the Caribbean islands, but is not expected to make landfall in the United States.
Tropical Storm Leslie is currently not a threat to the United States.
