The death toll from Hurricane Helene in the United States rose to 91 on Sunday, with one county in North Carolina alone reporting 30 deaths. Rescuers are struggling to get drinking water and other supplies to isolated, flood-struck areas across the southeastern US. According to AFP, the storm caused widespread destruction across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. High winds and torrential rains devastated towns, flooded roads, and left millions without power.
As per an Associated Press (AP) report, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said the death toll is likely to rise as emergency workers continue to carry out search and rescue operations and reach areas isolated by collapsed roads, failing infrastructure and widespread flooding.
He has asked residents in western North Carolina to avoid travel for their safety and to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles. Over 50 search teams had spread throughout the region to search for stranded people, as per the report. Meanwhile, County Manager Avril Pinder said she was asking the state for emergency food and drinking water. Streets in the picturesque city of Asheville were submerged in floodwater, according to a Reuters report.
Hurricane Helene roared ashore late Thursday in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane with 225 kph winds. A weakened Helene swiftly passed through Georgia, then drenched North and South Carolina along with Tennessee. Heavy rains caused rivers and creeks to flood and put pressure on dams.
Helene dumped “staggering” amounts of rain on the affected regions, including 12 to 14 inches in South Carolina, 12 to 16 inches in Florida and 12 to 14 inches in Georgia, CNN reported, quoting Ken Graham, the director of the National Weather Service.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said Saturday that it looked “like a bomb went off” after he saw devastated homes and debris-covered highways from the air, as per AP. In eastern Georgia, officials notified residents of Augusta on Sunday morning that the water supply would be shut off for the next 24 to 48 hours in the city and surrounding areas of Richmond County, reported AP.
In Florida, residents of Big the Bend lost nearly everything they owned, and power outages continued till Sunday morning.
Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), visited storm-affected areas in south Georgia on Sunday and planned to be in North Carolina on Monday. “It’s still very much an active search and rescue mission” in western North Carolina, Criswell said. She said there “are many communities that are cut off just because of the geography”.
President Joe Biden on Saturday pledged federal assistance for the “overwhelming” devastation caused by the hurricane. He also approved a disaster declaration for North Carolina, making federal funding available for affected individuals.
According to BBC, while Helene has weakened significantly, forecasters warn that high winds, flooding and the threat of tornadoes could continue.