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Hundreds of kilometers from landfall, the ‘apocalyptic’ devastation of Hurricane Helene unfolds

Hundreds of kilometers from landfall, the ‘apocalyptic’ devastation of Hurricane Helene unfolds

Vaseline 5 days ago

The death toll from Hurricane Helene continues to rise as Americans in the Southeast count the cost of last week’s massive storm.

At least 91 people were killed as Helene traveled north from the Gulf Coast, the Associated Press reported Monday. The storm made landfall Thursday evening as a Category 4 hurricane in the Big Bend region of Florida with sustained winds of 140 mph.

Helene intensified as it approached the US coast, bringing devastating winds, massive flooding and a massive storm surge.

In North Carolina, extreme flooding washed away homes and bridges. At one point, authorities closed 400 roads as they deemed them unsafe for travel. At least 30 people have been killed and dozens are missing, state authorities said.

Family members hold up photos of loved ones who have not yet been found in the aftermath of the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Helene in Erwin on Sunday, September 29, 2024. Ten.

Saul Young/News Sentinel/USA Today Network

“This is an unprecedented tragedy that requires an unprecedented response,” said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.

National Guard members and response teams from 19 states participated in search and rescue missions across the state.

William Ray, the director of emergency management for the North Carolina Department for Public Safety, said response teams are “working around the clock to conduct rescues and reach neighborhoods.”

In Asheville, there has been no cell service or water supply for several days. Zeb Smathers — the mayor of Canton, west of Asheville — told “Good Morning America” ​​that the situation was “apocalyptic, not just for Canton, but for the entire region.”

The area is experiencing a total cell phone “blackout,” Smathers said, meaning residents cannot check on their loved ones or urge people at risk of further flooding to evacuate.

Parts of North Carolina were inundated with as much as 30 inches of rain, causing deadly flooding and landslides.

In Lake Lure in the western part of the state, resident George Carter told “Good Morning America”: “When you turn the corner and see your community full of buildings and trash and floating boathouses and floating houses, it just kind of takes your breath away.”

A torn American flag hangs from a rope on a now closed road in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Jena, Florida, September 29, 2024.

Gerald Herbert/AP

“It was scary,” he added.

Adam Jackson, from Tyron, North Carolina, said neighbors were trapped by falling trees.

There were “probably 50 trees keeping my neighbors from coming out,” he said. ‘I started them yesterday, the neighbors on the other side of the road. We got ourselves out, but the other neighbors are trapped.”

The Painter family of Asheville, meanwhile, returned home to find 35,000 gallons of water in their basement. “It’s creepy,” Jacob Painter said. “I had a pit in the pit of my stomach the whole time.”

“You step on mud and try not to fall because it’s so thick and slippery,” Ciara Lantz-Painter said.

Randall Houghton spoke to “Good Morning America” ​​near a destroyed RV park. His RV was washed away by the water, he said, forcing him to spend the night on the side of the road.

Heavy rainfall from Hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage in Asheville, NC, September 28, 2024.

Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images

“It’s crazy,” Houghton said. “I was expecting something bad when she said the water was going to flow over the parking tables.”

At least two people have been killed in Tennessee, but that number could rise as search and rescue efforts continue. According to government officials, more than 70 people are still missing.

Among them is Steve Cloyd, whose Jeep was found in the aftermath of the storm, according to his family.

His family’s hope, wife Keli told “Good Morning America,” is that Steve was able to escape the vehicle. “I need that big one so I can breathe again, so my kids can breathe again,” she said.

“His Minnesota Vikings won today. So I want to sit here and watch those highlights with him.”

ABC New’s Joel Lyons, Dom Proto, Octavio Cadenas, Alex Colletta and Kimberly Randolph contributed to this report.