Hurricane Helene caused significant devastation across the Southeastern U.S., leading to nearly 100 fatalities. Authorities are working to provide aid to flood-stricken areas, particularly Asheville, North Carolina, where residents face shortages of essential supplies due to infrastructure damage. Federal and state responses are underway to assist in recovery efforts and address ongoing challenges in affected communities.
PERRY, Fla. — A significant crisis emerged in Asheville as authorities vowed to deliver more water, food, and essential supplies to areas devastated by flooding and left without power or cellular service following Hurricane Helene’s passage through the Southeastern United States. The death toll from the storm escalated to nearly 100 individuals. Reports indicate that at least 91 fatalities occurred across various states, with a particularly hard-hit North Carolina county, which encompasses Asheville, documenting 30 deaths. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper predicted that the death toll could continue to rise as rescue workers and emergency responders reached regions isolated due to collapsed infrastructure, impassable roads, and extensive flooding. Efforts were underway to airlift supplies to the besieged city of Asheville, with Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder assuring residents that food and water provisions would reach the city soon. “We hear you. We need food and we need water,” Pinder remarked during a press call. “My staff has been making every request possible to the state for support and we’ve been working with every single organization that has reached out. What I promise you is that we are very close.” Officials conveyed the daunting challenges that lie ahead in the rebuilding process after the extensive loss of homes and properties. The storm wreaked havoc throughout the Southeast, with casualties reported in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia. Governor Cooper urged residents in western North Carolina to avoid unnecessary travel to ensure the roads remain accessible for emergency services. More than 50 search teams were deployed across the area to locate stranded individuals. One notable rescue operation involved the retrieval of 41 people north of Asheville and a separate mission focused on one infant. Rescue teams utilized both 911 calls and social media communications to identify those in need, as stated by North Carolina National Guard Adjutant General Todd Hunt. President Joe Biden characterized the devastation wrought by the storm as “stunning” and indicated that he would visit the region later in the week, contingent on not interfering with ongoing rescue and recovery operations. Briefly conversing with reporters, Biden assured that the federal administration was allocating extensive resources to support state efforts in responding to the crisis. Hurricane Helene, which made landfall late Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane packing winds of 140 mph (225 kph), rapidly diminished as it traversed Georgia, inundating the Carolinas and Tennessee with torrential rainfall that resulted in significant flooding. The number of water rescues exceeded hundreds, including in rural Unicoi County, Tennessee, where helicopter evacuations were conducted from a hospital rooftop. As of Sunday evening, over two million utility customers remained without power, with South Carolina experiencing the highest outages. Governor Henry McMaster requested patience from the public as repair crews contended with extensive infrastructure damage. He stated, “We want people to remain calm. Help is on the way, it is just going to take time.” The catastrophic flooding in North Carolina represented the worst in a century, with one community, Spruce Pine, receiving over two feet of rain from Tuesday to Saturday. Jessica Drye Turner from Texas issued an urgent plea online for assistance for her family members stranded on a rooftop in Asheville amid rising waters. Tragically, by a subsequent message, she reported that timely help had failed to arrive, resulting in the drowning of her parents and young nephew. Despite state efforts to coordinate supply shipments to Asheville, mudslides obstructing Interstate 40 and other critical highways hindered access. The law enforcement authorities in Buncombe County prepared to dispatch officers to regions still possessing food, water, or gas in response to escalating tensions among residents. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell visited southern Georgia and planned a forthcoming trip to North Carolina, stating, “It’s still very much an active search and rescue mission in western North Carolina. And we know that there are many communities that are cut off just because of the geography of the mountains, where damage to roads and bridges have restricted access.” In response to the “overwhelming” destruction caused by Hurricane Helene, President Biden pledged federal aid and approved a disaster declaration for North Carolina, thus activating federal funding for those impacted. In Florida’s Big Bend region, residents have been grappling with the aftermath of the storm, with many congregating outside local churches for worship amid ongoing power outages. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp described the devastation as resembling a bomb explosion after surveying the destruction from the air.
Hurricane Helene made landfall and wreaked havoc across the Southeastern United States, leading to widespread destruction, flooding, and casualties. Authorities scrambled to provide essential aid to affected regions, focusing particularly on Asheville, North Carolina, which has experienced severe supply shortages and infrastructural damage. The storm has been cataloged as one of the deadliest and most damaging in recent years, eliciting prompt responses from federal and state authorities to address the crisis.
The aftermath of Hurricane Helene underscores the critical need for efficient emergency response systems in the wake of natural disasters. The rising death toll and extensive damage reveal the vulnerability of communities facing severe weather events exacerbated by climate change. Coordination among federal, state, and local agencies will be imperative for effective recovery and rebuilding efforts moving forward.
Original Source: time.com
