Hurricane Helene has claimed at least 111 lives over the span of six states, with officials believing the numbers will continue to rise as rescuers reach communities in the Appalachian Mountains, where devastating flooding and mudslides have decimated whole towns.
- Florida — 13
- Georgia — 25
- North Carolina — 39
- South Carolina — 28
- Tennessee — 4
- Virginia — 2
In North Carolina, extreme floods washed away homes and bridges, as National Guard and relief teams from 19 states joined in rescue missions. Up to 30 inches of rain triggered flash floods and mudslides.
In Asheville, there has been no cell service or water supply for several days. Zeb Smathers — the mayor of Canton, to the west of Asheville — said the situation was “apocalyptic, not just for Canton, but the entire region.” A total cell phone blackout means loved ones have no way of checking on residents.
The path of power outages remains vast, as of Monday morning.
President Biden says he has plans to visit impact areas this week as long as it doesn’t impact rescue and recovery operations. On Sunday, Biden described the impact of the storm as “stunning” and said that the administration is giving states “everything we have” to help with their response to the storm.
Biden made calls on Sunday to several state and local government officials including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp; North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper; Valdosta, Georgia Mayor Scott Matheson; and Taylor County, Florida Emergency Management Director John Louk.
Trump plans to turn a disaster into another political football, with plans to blather in Valdosta, Georgia this afternoon, already accusing Biden of “sleeping” through the storm.
Vice President Harris has canceled a campaign event in Las Vegas to return to Washington for a meeting with FEMA officials.
The Trump campaign politicized Kamala Harris’s address regarding incoming aid to the storm victims.
