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    • The death toll rises due to rescue efforts
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    The death toll rises due to rescue efforts

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    ASHEVILLE, N.C. — At least 90 people were killed and more than 2 million homes and businesses remained in the dark Monday in the Southeast, the region besieged by historic flooding caused by Hurricane Helene and its remnants.

    Hundreds of water rescues have taken place in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia since Helene’s brutal landfall late Thursday in the Big Bend area of ​​Florida.

    In total, more than 12 inches of rain fell in Atlanta in 48 hours, breaking a record that stood for nearly 150 years. Western North Carolina bore the brunt of the devastating rainfall, with some areas recording more than 3 feet. Homes floated away from subdivisions, bridges crumbled, semi-trucks were thrown into mangled piles. Mud, tree branches and food from local supermarkets poured into the streets.

    The confirmed death toll here in Buncombe County alone rose to 30 and was expected to rise, the sheriff said late Sunday. Officials have received about 600 reports of missing persons.

    “We are still conducting searches and we know that may include recovery operations,” said Sheriff Quentin Miller. “Our hearts are broken by this news and we ask people to give our community the space and time to process this incredible loss.”

    In neighboring Henderson County, emergency management officials reported that five people had died in the storm’s aftermath.

    Gov. Roy Cooper activated more than 500 National Guard soldiers and airmen. More than 200 vehicles and aircraft, including tackle, emergency aviation and flood control vehicles, worked feverishly to save lives.

    “Even as the rain and wind have subsided, the challenge for people there is increasing,” Cooper said. “People are desperate for help, and we are doing our utmost to get that help.”

    ‘Biblical destruction’: Helene leaves a trail of destruction behind

    Developments:

    ∎ AccuWeather puts its preliminary estimate of total damage and economic loss at $95 billion to $110 billion. Helene is expected to be one of the costliest storms in U.S. history due to overwhelming storm surge, gusty winds and flooding, the weather service said.

    ∎ Vice President Kamala Harris will cut short a campaign trip and plan a visit to the storm-ravaged Southeast, her office told Reuters. Former President Donald Trump, who said he will visit the region, has criticized Harris for campaigning when the tragedy unfolded.

    ∎ Energy production in the Gulf recovered. Only 3% of crude oil production and 1% of natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico remained shut in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said late Sunday.

    Storm Tracker: National Hurricane Center tracking of tropical depression Joyce, 4 other systems

    RED HILL, NC – James Waters watched as Helene’s torrential rains and fierce winds devastated his farm among the hilly slopes of Appalachian North Carolina, destroying trees, tearing down fences and causing a landslide. It took him a whole day to dig for the main road with an agricultural excavator. He found windy roads littered with downed power lines, fallen limbs, thick mud and debris. In some places, cars were washed into ditches. A neighbor found a body near a riverbank, he said.

    No one had cell service or power. People could not find out whether their relatives were alive or dead. Waters knew he had a huge recovery ahead of him. But his family had survived. So he, like others in the area, first grabbed his chainsaw to clear the roads and check on the neighbors.

    “The whole side of the mountain came down,” he said. “Then it filled the valley with mud.” Read more here.

    − Chris Kenning

    North Carolina’s urban bands come together after Helene caused major damage: ‘That’s what we do’

    People waited outside the emergency room at HCA Healthcare’s Mission Hospital in Asheville, checking on the conditions of admitted family members. Shawn Hensley, 47, of Black Mountain, told the Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, that his 65-year-old mother had arrived at the hospital the night before because she was low on oxygen. Hensley and neighbors had to cut a tree blocking his car so he could leave his neighborhood.

    “It looks like Mother Nature has gone all over the town,” Hensley said. “Everywhere you look it’s just destruction.”

    President Joe Biden plans to visit Helene-affected areas this week as soon as he can do so without disrupting emergency services, the White House said.

    “It’s tragic,” Biden told reporters on Sunday, promising recovery aid after declaring major disasters in Florida and North Carolina and emergencies for Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama. ‘You’ve seen the pictures. It’s breathtaking.’

    Trump will visit Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday to receive a briefing on storm damage and “facilitate the distribution of relief supplies,” his campaign said.

    The National Hurricane Center is monitoring five systems in the Atlantic Basin. The biggest concern for Florida and the US is a disturbance in the Caribbean Sea, which could become a tropical depression later this week as it follows a path similar to Major Hurricane Helene. Forecasters are advising residents along the Gulf Coast to keep a close eye on the system. Another system, Tropical Depression 12, was expected to become a “large and powerful” system later this week, the hurricane center said. Current models say it curves north toward the mid-Atlantic, far away from the US. Read more here.

    Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida

    As authorities assess Helene’s devastation across much of the country, rescuers and other responders have been deployed to hard-hit and isolated communities. Relief efforts and funds have also been created to help victims and survivors.

    Federal officials have advised against sending unsolicited donated goods or going to disaster-hit areas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency noted there are currently no requests for donations other than cash.

    Here are some organizations accepting donations to help people affected by the storm:

    • American Red Cross: Red Cross volunteers from Florida to Tennessee are helping communities by providing food, disaster supplies, shelter and additional assistance. The organization accepts donations to finance relief efforts.
    • The Salvation Army: The organization has deployed teams to provide emergency assistance, food and long-term recovery services to survivors and rescuers. To contribute to the effort, visit the Hurricane Helene donation page here.
    • GoFundMe: GoFundMe has set up a dedicated hub with verified fundraising efforts for people and communities affected by the storm’s devastation. The company also has its own Hurricane Relief Fund, which provides cash grants to people in need of assistance.
    • America: The nonprofit focuses on emergency medical care and has set up a donation page to help communities recover from Helene.
    • All hands and hearts: The volunteer-based organization helps with short- and long-term disaster recovery and has launched a Helene Fund to help with the 12-month response.

    Contributors: Jacob Biba, Will Hofmann and Iris Seaton, Asheville Citizen Times; Reuters

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