ASHEVILLE, N.C. − The death toll has exceeded 100, and more than 1.7 million properties remain without power across the Southeast as the region grapples with severe flooding caused by Hurricane Helene and its aftermath.

Since Helene’s harsh landfall in Florida’s Big Bend area late Thursday, there have been numerous water rescues in Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Virginia.

In Atlanta, over 11 inches of rain have fallen in just 48 hours, breaking a nearly 150-year-old record. The heaviest rainfall hit western North Carolina, where some locations received more than 30 inches. Homes were swept away from neighborhoods, bridges collapsed, and semi-trucks were piled up in chaotic heaps. Streets flooded with mud, tree branches, and debris from local stores.

Buncombe County alone reported 40 confirmed deaths, County Manager Avril Pinder stated during a briefing on Monday, bringing North Carolina’s death toll to nearly 50. Approximately 600 missing persons reports have been submitted, with many expected to be resolved once communication systems are restored.

“We currently have no water, and most of the county is without power,” Pinder stated. “The roads remain extremely hazardous.”

Some supplies are being delivered by air due to the restricted ground transportation caused by damaged roads, and the county began distributing food and water on Monday afternoon.

Governor Roy Cooper has mobilized over 500 National Guard members. More than 200 vehicles and aircraft, including hoist and emergency aviation resources as well as high-water vehicles, are engaged in rescue efforts.

President Joe Biden promised support for affected communities, stating that “the nation stands with you,” and that assistance is on its way.

“We’ll continue to deliver resources like food, water, communication tools, and lifesaving equipment,” Biden assured on Monday. “I mean it − we will provide support until this job is done.”

Latest updates:

∎ AccuWeather has raised its estimate of total damages and economic losses from Hurricane Helene to between $145 billion and $160 billion. This storm is anticipated to be one of the costliest in U.S. history due to its massive storm surge, winds, and flooding, according to meteorologists.

∎ Vice President Kamala Harris will shorten her campaign trip to visit the storm-impacted Southeast, her office reported. Former President Donald Trump, who plans to visit the area, has criticized Harris for campaigning during this crisis, while continuing his rally schedule.

∎ In Tennessee, three people have died, and over 100 are unaccounted for due to Helene’s effects, according to the state’s Emergency Management Agency, as reported by NBC News.

∎ The energy sector in the Gulf is slowly recovering, with only 3% of crude oil production and 1% of natural gas production still offline after Hurricane Helene, as stated by the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement on Sunday.

Biden deploys FEMA chief to Asheville ‘until stability is restored’

Biden has dispatched FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to Asheville, North Carolina, to remain “until the situation stabilizes,” as announced by the federal agency on Monday. FEMA teams are assisting at Mission Hospital and preparing to assist patients, while another group is heading to Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pine.

A total of ten federal search and rescue teams are currently active in the area, with an additional nine teams on the way, totaling 900 personnel from FEMA. Furthermore, 25 trailer-loads of meals and 60 trailer-loads of water are being transported, along with a C-17 cargo plane filled with essential supplies.

According to a release, 200 federal ambulances have been allocated to the state. The agency has also provided 40 Starlink satellites for improved communication among responders and has 18 helicopters ready to assist in delivering additional aid to affected areas.

− Will Hofmann, Asheville Citizen-Times

Destruction resembling a scene from ‘War of the Worlds’

In certain areas of western North Carolina, residents are left to help themselves as relief has not yet arrived. Taylor Shelton shared that her husband labored for two days with a chainsaw to cut through large fallen trees, creating a route for their family, including their three children, to escape their dark home in Yancey County, which borders Buncombe County.

The destruction they encountered was staggering.

“It resembles ‘War of the Worlds.’ Very, very large trees are down everywhere,” she remarked. “We saw homes that have been completely washed away.”

Shelton expressed concern as the couple has been unable to reach her husband’s parents in nearby Burnside, which also suffered from the storm.

DeSantis mobilizes rescuers for Floridians in North Carolina

Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida has ordered rescue teams to deploy airlift operations for Floridians who might be stranded in western North Carolina due to blocked roads and power and mobile service outages.

“Operation Blue Ridge” commenced on Sunday, a mission akin to one he initiated nearly a year ago to assist Florida residents in Israel following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, and earlier this year for those affected by political violence in Haiti.

Recovery initiatives are still underway in Florida after Hurricane Helene. At least 11 fatalities have been reported in the state, including nine in Pinellas County, hundreds of miles away from where the storm made landfall.

DeSantis commented that he missed a call from President Biden while he was in the air assessing the damage. He noted that the federal government should focus its resources on assisting those in western North Carolina, although he indicated that Florida might seek additional federal help in the future.

− Gray Rohrer, Tallahassee Democrat

‘It’s a race against time’: Historic town starts recovery

MARSHALL, N.C. − Following the flooding that devastated this small community of less than 800 residents, cleanup crews on Monday began the challenging task of clearing thick mud and debris, while business owners salvaged their possessions from flooded downtown buildings. This historic town, located along the French Broad River north of Asheville, experienced flooding that reached the roofs of some first-floor businesses, also affecting a water treatment facility across the river. The majority of the town remains without power and cellular communication. Damage has also impacted businesses contributing to a recent artistic revival in the downtown area. As excavators worked in the vicinity, Chad Adamowski and his friends were shoveling mud from his tattoo and music shop, striving to remove walls before mold could set in. “It’s a race against time,” he declared.

− Chris Kenning

World Central Kitchen provides food aid in Asheville

Amid the pressing need for assistance, various disaster relief organizations are offering free meals and supplies in the Asheville area. World Central Kitchen, a global relief organization, started distributing complimentary meals for the community on Monday. WCK is also serving meals in Florida and Georgia. Founded by celebrity chef José Andrés in 2010, the organization aims to deliver fresh food during humanitarian crises both in the U.S. and globally.

“Asheville, we are here,” the organization announced via Twitter on Monday. “WCK is in North Carolina working to assist flooded communities and families trapped due to Hurricane Helene.”

− Tiana Kennell, YSL News NETWORK

Concerns for neighbors amid communication blackouts

In Burnsville, North Carolina, Suzanne Vale posted the names of her neighbors in a Facebook group on Monday, hoping someone could provide updates about their well-being. She is among many using social media to reach out for information about friends and loved ones in regions severely affected by Helene. The communication outages caused by the storm have made it challenging to acquire necessary information.

As the storm moved towards Florida, Vale and her spouse traveled from their residence in Burnsville in the Blue Ridge Mountains to their home in Dunedin, a coastal town near Tampa. While their house in Florida remained unharmed, their worries quickly shifted to Burnsville, where washed-out roads and bridges have isolated residents with no way to connect with the outside world.

“Nobody has been able to reach anyone there. I’m certain they are all right, but it’s the uncertainty that’s concerning,” she said about her friends and neighbors. “What has occurred is hard to comprehend.”

− Christopher Cann

‘The whole side of the mountain collapsed’

RED HILL, N.C. – James Waters observed as Helene’s heavy rain and strong winds devastated his farm nestled among the Appalachian hills of North Carolina, snapping trees, tearing down fences, and causing a landslide.

He spent an entire day clearing a path to the main road with a farm excavator. The roads were littered with downed power lines, fallen branches, thick mud, and debris. In some places, vehicles were washed into ditches, and one neighbor discovered a body near a riverbank, he recounted.

With neither cell service nor power, people were unable to determine the whereabouts of their loved ones—whether they were safe or not. Waters realized he faced a significant recovery challenge ahead. Yet, since his family had survived, he immediately grabbed his chainsaw to help clear paths and check on neighbors.

“The whole side of the mountain collapsed,” he remarked. “Then it filled the valley.”

− Chris Kenning

Helicopters and drones aid in rescues

Dale Buckner, the CEO of Global Guardian, shared that his international security company has assisted and evacuated over 400 individuals from disaster zones throughout the Southeast. Some rescues required the use of helicopters and thermal drones.

“We’ve noted the greatest need from clients in North Carolina, and we are also performing wellness checks and distributing food and water along the storm’s trajectory,” he stated. “The destruction , its consequences will linger for months.”

Flood damage at historic Biltmore Estate?

The Biltmore Estate in Asheville is currently evaluating the damage and will be temporarily closed due to “significant flooding, impassable roads, and widespread power outages in our area,” as stated on their social media channels. Officials encourage visitors to check biltmore.com/weather-update for the most recent information. As of Sunday, the website indicated that officials are “working on reopening” but did not provide a specific timeline.

Constructed over six years in the late 1800s, George Vanderbilt’s 250-room French Renaissance château is noted as the “largest residential architecture project in the nation,” according to the estate’s website. The mansion features over four acres of floor space, 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. Read more here.

− Juan Buitrago, Asheville Citizen Times

Repeated hurricanes: Residents of Florida wearied and cautious

CEDAR KEY, Fla. − The innkeeper is left questioning whether rebuilding this town scattered across a small archipelago is worth it − once more. The clam farmer is concerned about the effect on his harvest. Meanwhile, the business leader wonders about the next challenge posed by Mother Nature, especially as the climate continues to shift.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, tens of thousands in Florida’s Big Bend region are sharing these concerns. Similar sentiments are increasingly reported by coastal residents from Alaska to California and Maine due to the rise in stronger and more frequent storms, alongside increasing sea levels that disrupt their way of life and work. Many insurance companies have already scaled back coverage or withdrawn completely from certain areas, indicating long-term risk.

“Natural disasters happen, and they are part of life,” expressed innkeeper Ian Maki, who has weathered five hurricanes since joining the island community southwest of Gainesville in 2018. “However, these experiences don’t feel quite like nature anymore.” Read more here.

− Trevor Hughes

Worried families gather outside the emergency room

Outside HCA Healthcare’s Mission Hospital in Asheville, families waited to check on loved ones who had been admitted. Shawn Hensley, 47, from Black Mountain, shared with Citizen Times, part of the YSL News NETWORK, that his 65-year-old mother was admitted the previous night due to low oxygen levels. Hensley and his neighbors had to use a chainsaw to clear a tree blocking his vehicle so he could leave his area.

“It seems like Mother Nature just crushed that little town,” Hensley mentioned. “Destruction is visible everywhere you look.”

Biden to visit post-Helene impacted area

This week, Biden intends to visit regions devastated by Helene, timing his trip to avoid hindering ongoing emergency services, according to a statement from the White House.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Biden told reporters on Sunday, assuring recovery help after declaring major disasters in Florida and North Carolina and emergencies for several other states. “The images are shocking.”

Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday for a briefing on the storm’s devastation, according to his campaign.

New storms forming in the Atlantic Ocean

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring five systems in the Atlantic. The primary concern for Florida and the U.S. focuses on a disturbance in the Caribbean Sea, which is poised to potentially develop into a tropical depression later this week, following a route akin to that of Hurricane Helene. Residents along the Gulf Coast are advised to keep a vigilant eye on this system.

Another system, Tropical Storm Kirk, is predicted to grow into a “large and formidable” system later in the week, according to the hurricane center. Current forecasts indicate it will navigate north into the Atlantic, far from the U.S. Read more here.

Cheryl McCloud, YSL News NETWORK – Florida

How to help Helene victims through donations

As officials evaluate the damage caused by Helene across a significant area of the nation, rescue teams and emergency responders have been deployed to reach hard-hit and isolated regions. Various relief efforts and funds have been established to support victims and survivors.

Authorities have cautioned against sending unsolicited donations or heading to affected areas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has stated that they currently only request monetary donations.

Below are some organizations accepting contributions to assist those affected by the storm:

• American Red Cross: Volunteers from Florida to Tennessee are assisting communities by providing food, emergency supplies, shelter, and other forms of aid. The organization is accepting donations to further support relief efforts.
• The Salvation Army: This organization has dispatched teams to deliver emergency assistance, food, and long-term recovery services to survivors and rescue personnel. To support their work, visit their Hurricane Helene relief donation page here.
• GoFundMe: A dedicated hub has been established on GoFundMe featuring verified fundraisers for individuals and communities affected by the storm’s destruction. They also run a Hurricane Relief Fund that offers cash grants to those in need.
• Americares: This nonprofit focuses on emergency medical assistance and has created a donation page specifically to aid in recovery from Helene.
• All Hands and Hearts: A volunteer-based organization that focuses on both short-term and long-term recovery efforts has launched a Helene fund to assist with its year-long response.