Hurricane Helene has wreaked “biblical devastation” in parts of North Carolina, according to officials, after tearing through five southeastern US states and causing over 60 fatalities. On Sunday, a clearer picture of the destruction in North Carolina emerged, where Helene brought torrential rain and flooding after previously sweeping through Florida and Georgia.
In North Carolina, more than 400 roads are closed, and at least 10 people have died. Homes have been destroyed, towns isolated, and hundreds of thousands of residents are experiencing power outages. Governor Roy Cooper stated, “This storm has brought catastrophic devastation to western North Carolina, of historic proportions,” noting that supplies are being airlifted to those affected.
Ryan Cole, an emergency official for Buncombe County, which includes the mountain city of Asheville, said, “We have biblical devastation through the county. This is the most significant natural disaster that any one of us has ever seen.” Asheville, a popular tourist destination with a population of about 94,000, was largely cut off by flooding on Saturday after Helene passed through the region as a tropical storm.
Erin Quevedo, owner of a flooded salon in Asheville, shared her experience with The Asheville Citizen Times while standing ankle-deep in mud. “The salon was completely destroyed. It looks like the water came up to about five feet inside,” she said. “Right now, all we’re doing is we’re trying to salvage what we can.”
Many petrol stations in North Carolina are closed, leading to long lines at those that remain open. The few supermarkets that are operational have been overwhelmed with customers trying to buy bottled water. As of Sunday morning, officials reported that more than 300,000 North Carolinians were without power, and mobile service outages have made it difficult for those in need to reach emergency services. Navigating downed trees and debris remains a significant challenge, with officials in the hardest-hit areas stating that all roads there are closed.
Hurricane Helene initially struck as a powerful hurricane, marking the most intense storm ever recorded to hit Florida’s Big Bend. After making landfall overnight on Thursday, it moved northward into Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee. The estimated damage from the hurricane ranges between $95 billion and $110 billion (£71 billion-£82 billion), and the full extent of the destruction is expected to be clearer in the coming days.
The search for survivors continues, and federal emergencies have been declared in six states, including Florida and Georgia. As of Sunday morning, 63 fatalities had been confirmed across five states, according to CBS, with expectations that this toll may rise as search efforts uncover more victims. South Carolina reported the highest death toll, with 24 people killed, while Georgia and Florida reported 17 and 11 fatalities, respectively.
President Joe Biden remarked on Saturday, “The devastation we’re witnessing in Hurricane Helene’s wake has been overwhelming.” He was briefed by Deanne Criswell, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and directed her to expedite support for storm survivors, including deploying additional teams to North Carolina. FEMA reported the deployment of over 3,200 staff and federal partners in response to Helene, which includes search and rescue teams that have conducted more than 600 rescues across the southeastern US.
Although Helene has significantly weakened, forecasters caution that high winds, flooding, and the risk of tornadoes could persist. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration previously warned that 2024 could see as many as 25 named storms, with between eight and 13 expected to develop into hurricanes. With the official hurricane season ending on November 30, officials have indicated that more storms could be on the way.
