More US states are battling flooding, with the Helene disaster killing at least 63 people

Heavy rainfall from Storm Helene has battered parts of North Carolina and Tennessee – the latest states in the southeastern US to suffer a disaster that has killed at least 63 people.

In North Carolina, the mountain city of Asheville was largely cut off by flooding on Saturday, CBS News, the BBC’s American partner, reported.

More than 400 roads remain closed in the state, leaving 10 people dead. Supplies are being shipped to residents, Gov. Roy Cooper said.

Officials have continued daring rescue efforts using boats, helicopters and large vehicles to help people stranded in floodwaters, including about 50 workers and patients gathered on the roof of a flooded hospital in Tennessee.

Many gas stations in North Carolina are closed and there are long lines of cars at those that are still open. Power outages have affected at least three million customers in five states.

The storm started as a hurricane – the most powerful on record – that hit Florida’s Big Bend, and moved north into Georgia and the Carolinas after making landfall overnight Thursday.

In pictures: devastation caused by Hurricane Helene

Although Helene has been significantly weakened, forecasters warn that high winds, flooding and the threat of tornadoes could continue.

The damage is estimated at between 95 and 110 billion dollars. Governor Cooper called it “one of the worst storms in modern history” to hit North Carolina.

Asheville, home to about 94,000 people and a popular tourism and arts center, was swamped and eerily quiet on Saturday, CBS reported.

The search for survivors is ongoing and federal states of emergency have been declared in six states, including Florida and Georgia.

In Tennessee, 58 patients and staff were stranded on the roof of a hospital in the city of Erwin on Friday. Fast-moving water from the Nolichucky River prevented boats from conducting rescues, and high winds prevented helicopter operations.

The group was later brought to safety after helicopters from the Tennessee National Guard and Virginia State Police intervened.

“The devastation we are witnessing in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene has been overwhelming,” President Joe Biden said on Saturday.

He was briefed by Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, who he ordered to accelerate support to storm survivors, including deploying additional teams to North Carolina.

As many as 25 named storms could occur in 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned earlier this year.

Between eight and 13 of those storms could develop into hurricanes, and a handful of them are already here, including Helene.

More storms could be in store, officials warned, as the official end of hurricane season isn’t until Nov. 30.