Hurricane Helene leaves nearly 100 dead in the US, most in North Carolina

New York/Hurricane Helene left nearly 100 dead this Sunday afternoon in six states in the southeastern United States, including North Carolina, where the majority of the deaths were recorded and the government approved a “major disaster” declaration to speed up relief efforts.

The latest official death toll put the total at 93 dead in six states. Hardest hit is North Carolina, where officials counted 36 deaths, 25 in South Carolina, including two firefighters. 17 in Georgia. 11 in Florida. two in Virginia; and two others in Tennessee.

The number could rise overnight, according to a CBS television count, the death toll is 105, with 30 deaths in Buncombe County, North Carolina, one of the hardest hit areas.

Helene entered Florida’s southeast coast on Thursday night as a Category 4 hurricane and made its way north, with torrential rains and gale-force winds causing scenes of destruction as rescue and recovery teams worked yesterday.

Helene entered Florida’s southeast coast as a Category 4 hurricane Thursday night and headed north, bringing torrential rain and gusty winds.

North Carolina is one of the hardest hit states, especially on its western side: an example of the disaster was the city of Asheville, partially submerged, with its houses destroyed and streets littered with debris, according to local media.

The governor, Roy Cooper, explained at a press conference that heavy rains in the state’s mountains triggered landslides that swept away roads, toppled light poles and telecommunications towers on their way to residential areas.

About 280 state highways are still closed, hampering emergency operations, so authorities are airlifting supplies, food and water to trapped people. There are also about 1,000 people in shelters, Cooper said.

North Carolina’s airports, located in Asheville and Charlotte, are the main airports in the United States affected by cancellations and delays, although they are continuing with most of their operations.

The governor called Helene “one of the worst storms in the state’s modern history” and expected more casualties as there are many missing persons reports.

They are facing a similar scenario in Unicoi County, in eastern Tennessee, where authorities are searching for more than 70 missing people, authorities said at a news conference Sunday morning.

Difficulties are compounded by blackouts that keep 2.4 million people without power in the five worst-hit southeastern states

Difficulties are compounded by blackouts that keep 2.4 million people without power in the five worst-hit southeastern states and another 130,000 in the five northern neighbors where the hurricane weakened.

Helene, which was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone on Friday, is no longer under a weather watch but will leave heavy rain in the southern Appalachians through tomorrow.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is coordinating hundreds of personnel in rescue and recovery efforts, and its administrator, Deanne Criswell, noted to X today that some communities affected by Helene are still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Idalia (2023).