Hundreds missing, over 130 deaths confirmed after Helene

More than two million people across nine states were without power Monday morning days after Hurricane Helene devastated states along the East Coast with historic rainfall and damaging winds. Officials in six states reported at least 130 deaths connected to the storm as Tuesday morning, with more feared dead since many communities were unreachable due to flooding and lack of cell service. Duke Energy, which supplies power to much of the Carolinas, said Sunday that it expects to restore power by Friday to most of its customers who have been affected. However, the company said some areas could stay dark much longer because of heavily damaged infrastructure.

What is the latest in North and South Carolina? Much of western North Carolina experienced major flooding Friday after rivers spilled their banks and water poured over dams. The storm damaged hundreds of roads and entire towns were devastated by flood waters. In Asheville, the French Broad River reached levels last recorded in 1895 and the Swannanoa River reached levels not reported since 1791, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The flooding submerged the city’s well-known River Arts District and Biltmore Village. The Buncombe County Register of Deeds on Saturday created an online form for people to request wellness checks for loved ones they were unable to reach. Buncombe County manager Avril Pinder on Saturday compared the devastation Hurricane Katrina, and assistant emergency services director Ryan Cole said the flooding was of Biblical proportions.

WORLD’s own headquarters in Asheville, N.C. also flooded over the weekend. While our staff in the area mostly are safe, some did have to relocate. The flood did much damage to our offices and equipment. You can find details on the challenges we’re facing and how you can help at WNG.org/WSOS.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis requested major disaster declarations from the federal government. As of Monday, President Joe Biden had approved the declarations for North Carolina and Florida, but had not yet elevated South Carolina’s emergency declaration approval to that of a major emergency. Major disaster declarations allow states to access additional federal financial assistance.

In South Carolina, Helene downed thousands of trees and knocked out power to much of the western part of the state. As of Monday morning, South Carolina had the most power outages of any state with more than 760,000 customers without power.

What about recovery efforts? Samaritan’s Purse responded to Perry and Tampa, Fla. where Helene made landfall. The organization also began assisting families in Valdosta, Ga. and established response sites throughout Western North Carolina. The organization is headquartered in Boone, N.C., a city hard-hit by flooding.

Meanwhile, the National Guard deployed more than 5,500 servicemembers from 11 states to support the response. Rescue crews are completing air missions to transport survivors and to deliver emergency supplies to difficult-to-reach areas. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris plan to visit hard-hit areas later this week if their visits do not disrupt emergency response efforts. Former President Donald Trump was expected to visit Valdosta on Monday.