Helene death toll nears hundred as more than two million remain without power

Nearly a hundred people have died across six states as a result of the widespread destruction and catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, a number the authorities have warned is likely to rise as they race to carry out rescue and recovery efforts.

According to the Associated Press, the death toll as of Sunday night stood at 91, while hundreds remained unaccounted for.

At least 30 deaths were reported in North Carolina’s Buncombe County, where the mountain city of Asheville became isolated after facing historic flooding.

In a press conference on Sunday, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said the state is facing an “unprecedented tragedy” adding that many people are cut off” because floods and landslide have made certain roads “impassable.”

At least 17 storm-related deaths were reported in Georgia, while the death toll in South Carolina stood at 25, as of Sunday evening.

Multiple deaths have also been reported in Florida—where Helene first made landfall as a Category 4 storm—Virginia and Tennessee.

More than 2 million. That is the total number of homes and businesses that remained without power early on Monday in the aftermath of Helene, according to Poweroutage.us. South Carolina is the worst hit, with more than 755,000 customers without power, followed by Georgia with more than 580,000 outages and North Carolina with around 458,000 outages. Over 133,000 homes and businesses remained impacted in Florida, while another 100,000 faced blackouts in Virginia.

Speaking to CBS News on Sunday Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) chief Deanne Criswell called the flooding in North Carolina “historic” and added: “I don’t know that anybody could be fully prepared for the amount of flooding and landslides that they are experiencing right now, but we have had teams in there for several days.”

While Helene has mostly dissipated, the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center warned there was a slight risk of excessive rainfall over the already saturated Central Appalachians on Monday. The agency warned the downpour could lead to localised flash flooding in urban and low-lying areas.

Buncombe County officials told CBS News that at least 600 people in the area remained missing on Sunday night—down from 1,000 a day ago. Around 153 people are unaccounted for in Tennessee, according to NBC News. Authorities believe many of the missing individuals are likely safe but have been unable to contact people due to power outages and lack of cell service.

Former President Donald Trump will visit Valdosta, Georgia on Monday “to receive a briefing on the devastation of Hurricane Helene” and “facilitate the distribution of relief supplies,” according to his campaign. Trump attacked President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris over their response to the hurricane at a rally on Sunday. Harris addressed the hurricane at her rally in Las Vegas on Sunday and said she had received a briefing on the matter from FEMA officials. The White House has said both Biden and Harris intend to visit the affected community when it will be possible to do so without disrupting emergency response operations. (Forbes)

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