Monday morning news: September 30, 2024

Helene aftermath N.C. » Hurricane Helene and its remnants carved an 800-mile path of destruction across five southeastern states, and the storm is now blamed for at least 63 deaths.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell:

CRISWELL:  We're hearing significant infrastructure damage to water systems, communication, roads, critical transportation routes, as well as homes that have been just destroyed by this.

And no inland region was hit harder than western North Carolina where historic flooding has devastated some communities, including the city of Asheville.

CRISWELL: I don't know that anybody could be fully prepared for the amount of flooding and landslides that they are experiencing right now.

Not only has flooding cut off roads, but the storm knocked out cellular service in Asheville, leaving many completely cut off from the outside world.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Sunday:

COOPER:  A lot of people who are concerned about relatives and friends that they cannot get in touch with and it's one of the reasons we are pushing so hard to get communications back up, because we know that a lot of these people are just simply out of communication and are okay.

He added that authorities are airlifting supplies into areas inaccessible by road.

South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee » Meantime, in South Carolina several million were still without power as of last night. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster asked for patience as crews deal with a lot of snapped power poles.

The storm is blamed for at least 23 deaths in the state, the most of any of the five states hard hit by Helene.

And in Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee said Sunday …

LEE:  There's a lot of damage out there and there are bridges out and we've seen those. There are roads that are impassable now, so that isolates people for certain.

And Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp talked about the destruction all the way from the Florida state line up through Atlanta where the previous rainfall record was 9 inches in 48 hours …

KEMP:  A combination of storms over the last few days dumped over 11 inches of rain. We're dealing with flash flooding and, believe it or not, mudslides and avalanches.

At least 17 people have been confirmed dead in Georgia from the storm.

Helene aftermath in Florida » And of course, Florida is still reeling after Helene slammed the state’s Big Bend region as a Category-4 hurricane.

One resident of the Gulf Coast island of Cedar Key surveyed the damage over the weekend.

RESIDENT:  Now just looking around and I feel so helpless. I really do. I feel helpless. I don't know what I don't know what's next for Cedar Key.

Cedar Key was inundated with massive storm surge as was Pasco County, just north of Tampa where Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters …

DESANTIS: You saw a storm surge in excess of 15 ft. And that is really, really destructive. So as you look around here, you know, you see some homes that are now just rubble.

With search and rescue operations largely complete in Florida, DeSantis said the state has been sending some personnel to help out in North Carolina.

Israel - Hezbollah leaders » The White House says it's still working to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East after recent Israeli airstrikes largely decimated the command structure of the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon.

President Biden was asked Sunday if an all-out war along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon can be avoided …

BIDEN:  Has to be. We really have to avoid it. But, uh, we're not there yet, but we're working with the French and many others.

The U.S., France, and others are calling for a 21-day cease-fire in the conflict.

But Republican Sen. Tom Cotton told CBS’ Face the Nation that’s the wrong idea.

COTTON:  Finish it off once and for all. That means for the first time in decades, Iran would be exposed on its flanks with no terror proxy capable, capable of devastating Israel or our troops and our friends in the region. That's what we should do. Not demand that we have a ceasefire deescalate at a time when Israel is trying to win.

In just over a week, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed seven high-ranking Hezbollah commanders, including the group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

VP debate this week » Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance of Ohio will face off tomorrow for their first and only scheduled vice presidential debate.

Vance, the Republican VP nominee, says he’s looking forward to it.

VANCE:  It's an opportunity for me to get to tell the American people how I think we can make their lives better and how Donald Trump's policies can make them more prosperous.

Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, says he’ll make a strong case for Harris and against Trump.

WALZ: It's pretty obvious to us that Donald Trump and J. D. Vance do not share our values in any way. They do not share our values. Look, it's not even about policies. It's about sharing our values.

CBS News will host the debate at 9pm Eastern tomorrow.

SpaceX supply launch » The two astronauts stuck at the International Space Station since June are welcoming their new ride home.

AUDIO: 3-2-1, ignition [SIC] full power, and lift off of crew NINE. Go Spacex, go Falcon, go NASA …

A SpaceX capsule heard there blasting off from Cape Canaveral docked at the space station on Sunday.

The capsule arrived with two astronauts, half the normal number, and two empty seats for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams — the two stranded astronauts. But it won't depart until February.

NASA scrapped their planned trip home for Wilmore and Williams after safety concerns about their Boeing Starliner craft.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: a religious liberty victory for teachers who believe pronouns matter. Plus, the Monday Moneybeat with David Bahnsen.

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