The fatal toll after the passage of powerful Hurricane Helene through the United States rose this Sunday to at least 93 deaths, 30 of them reported in a single county in North Carolina, authorities reported, while rescuers try to help people in need throughout the southeast of the country.
The storm wreaked havoc in several states, including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
Strong winds and torrential rains left some cities in ruins, roads flooded and millions of people without power.
At least 93 people have died due to the phenomenon: 37 in North Carolina, 25 in South Carolina, 17 in Georgia, 11 in Florida, two in Tennessee and one in Virginia, according to authorities reports.
In Buncombe County, North Carolina alone, there were 30 deaths, Sheriff Quentin Miller confirmed this Sunday.
“We continue to carry out search operations and we know that they may also include recovery operations (of bodies),” he added.
Hurricane Helene hits the southeastern United States
Hurricane Helene hit the southeastern United States, killing nearly 100 people and leaving millions without power, Reuters reported. The hardest hit states included North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia. Local and state authorities reported this death toll, which has continued to increase as search and rescue efforts progress.
In North Carolina, most of the fatalities, around 30 people, were in Buncombe County, Sheriff Quentin Miller said in a video conference with reporters. County Administrator Avril Pinder has requested state help to obtain emergency food and drinking water as Asheville streets remain flooded.
Economic consequences and material damage
Insurers and meteorologists estimate property damage and economic losses from Hurricane Helene range from $15 billion to more than $100 billion. The destruction includes water systems, communications and critical transportation routes that have been severely affected, according to data collected over the weekend.
Storm surges, high winds and heavy rain have destroyed homes and businesses that have stood for decades. On Florida’s Gulf Coast, communities such as Horseshoe Beach and Spring Warrior Fish Camp have suffered extensive damage, with mobile homes displaced and old buildings washed away by the force of the water.
Rescue and humanitarian aid
Search and rescue teams from 19 states and the United States government have mobilized to the affected areas, Governor Roy Cooper reported. Some roads could take months to repair due to the level of destruction. In Flat Rock, North Carolina, people waited in lines for hours for gas, facing widespread power outages and a lack of basic services like cell phones, said Chip Frank, a local resident. Approximately 2.7 million customers across the southern US were without power, according to the Department of Energy.
Officials in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida reported 25, 17 and 11 deaths respectively. In the coastal town of Steinhatchee, a storm surge reached up to 15 feet, moving mobile homes and wreaking havoc on local infrastructure. The Spring Warrior Fish Camp community is still waiting for emergency assistance.
Presidential visits and emergency declarations
President Joe Biden plans to visit the affected areas this week, according to the White House. Biden has declared major disasters in Florida and North Carolina and emergencies in Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama. The president promised recovery aid and expressed shock at the magnitude of the destruction, noting that photographs of the disaster are shocking.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will visit Valdosta, Georgia, to learn about the damage and facilitate the distribution of relief supplies, according to his campaign.
Impact on local communities
Communities in areas such as Horseshoe Beach and Flat Rock are facing significant personal and property losses. Horseshoe Beach resident Charlene Huggins shared how her home, which has been in her family for five generations, was completely destroyed. Huggins expressed his grief as he rescued items from the rubble.
David Hall, of Spring Warrior Fish Camp, described how he and his wife were trying to recover what little was left of their hotel office while facing the tide of seagrasses and dead fish. Many residents in this community build their homes on stilts due to a local ordinance, which has allowed some to survive severe damage. Kristin Macqueen, a volunteer, was helping her friends clean up after their house was destroyed in nearby Keaton Beach, one of the most affected towns, according to the same media.
#death #toll #United #States #rises #devastating #passage #Hurricane #Helene #Diario #Página
