Photo: Sean Rayford / Getty Images News / Getty Images
The death toll from Hurricane Helene, one of the deadliest storms to hit the United States in recent times, has risen to over 180, with hundreds more still unaccounted for. The hurricane, which made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm, has caused widespread devastation across the Southeast, leaving people stranded and without shelter.
President Joe Biden announced plans to visit the affected areas in North Carolina on Wednesday, aiming to limit disruption to ongoing recovery efforts. During a press conference, Biden mentioned that there were reports of 600 people still missing following the storm due to disrupted communication in the affected areas.
"God willing they're alive, but there's no way to contact them," Biden said.
The storm has inflicted its worst damage in the Carolinas, where more than 113 people have been found dead. In Asheville, North Carolina, one of the hardest-hit cities, a woman watched as her 7-year-old son and her parents were swept away into the flood. They were stranded on a roof when it collapsed into the water. The woman was rescued, but her family members are still missing.
In South Carolina, 36 people were confirmed dead from the storm as of Tuesday morning. At least 25 people were killed in Georgia, 13 in Florida, six in Tennessee, and two in Virginia.
Helene knocked out power to several million customers, with over a million and a half still without electricity on Monday night. The hurricane crashed ashore in Florida's Big Bend area on Thursday night, quickly moving through Georgia, then soaking the Carolinas and Tennessee with torrential rains, sending creeks and rivers over their banks and straining dams.
The National Weather Service reported the highest rainfall totals from Helene for each state. The rural northwest North Carolina area of Busick received the highest overall rainfall, with a staggering 30.78 inches.
Rebuilding efforts are expected to take years, with President Biden allowing survivors to apply for federal assistance money by making disaster declarations in various states.