A van partially submerged in the Swannanoa River in the Biltmore Village area of ​​Asheville, NC, Sunday, after Hurricane Helene.
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As rescue teams continue to respond to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s devastation in the US Southeast and southern Appalachia on Sunday, the death toll continues to rise. Hundreds remain missing across the region.
At least 64 people were killed in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, The Associated Press reported. Many people drowned after disobeying evacuation orders; others were killed in their homes and cars due to fallen trees and road signs. At least two Georgians were killed when a tornado lifted their car.
Much of the region remained dark with power still out to more than 2 million customers in five states on Sunday evening, nearly three days after Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region.
Residents are being warned to avoid unnecessary travel and stay out of floodwaters due to health risks.
North Carolina
Over the weekend, much of western North Carolina faced communication blackouts, power outages, fuel shortages and no potable water. The flood persisted, blocking travel.
On Sunday afternoon, critical supplies began reaching areas in need, Gov. Roy Cooper’s office said, as crews moved forward to restore power and cell phone service and repair roads.
Cooper confirmed that at least 11 people died in storm-related deaths in the country, and hundreds were rescued from the flood.
“A lot of people are cut off, because the roads are impassable,” Cooper said at an afternoon news conference. “Please know that we are sending resources.”
Supplies were being flown into the area surrounding the mountain town of Asheville, he said. But the supply delivery did not include potable water, Buncombe County officials said Sunday afternoon.
Flood damage after Hurricane Helene is seen in Asheville, NC
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District officials also said the death toll there had reached 30, with more than 500 unaccounted for, as of late afternoon.
“This is an unprecedented tragedy that requires an unprecedented response,” Cooper said.
“Rapid progress” is being made by cell network providers to restore service, the governor said.
Officials said residents should only drink treated and bottled water until the public water system comes back online.
Travel remained limited and hazardous due to mudslides and flooding, with about 280 state-maintained roads still closed as of Sunday afternoon, including portions of Interstates 26 and 40.
Officials repeatedly warned non-emergency vehicles to stay off the road so as not to obstruct cleanup crews, repairing utilities and supplies.
“The best thing we can do right now is stay home,” said state Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins.
More than 500,000 homes and businesses statewide remained without power Sunday evening, according to Poweroutage.us.
Twenty-four emergency shelters have been opened, with a combined capacity of 942 residents. Shelter information can be found at readync.gov.
Florida
Hours before Helene made landfall Thursday in the sparsely populated area of ​​Florida’s Big Bend region, 120-mph winds produced a storm surge that sent more than 5 feet of water — up to 16 feet in some areas — along Florida’s west coast. .
Helene turned the Tampa Bay area into the country’s deadly epicenter, where the death toll rose to nine on Sunday. All deaths occurred in mandatory evacuation zones. The majority were the result of rising waters or apparent drownings, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said.
NPR member station WUSF reports that cooling stations and libraries are open to residents in St. Petersburg, Largo, Madeira Beach, Seminole and Clearwater counties, where people can find air conditioners and charge devices.
Pinellas County public schools are set to reopen Monday, except for three that were severely damaged in the storm, WUSF reported.
Georgia
Georgians are being asked to conserve water in Augusta after trash and debris in the Savannah River has clogged the city’s water filtration system. Emergency management officials said at a press conference Sunday afternoon that water service should be restored within 24 to 48 hours.
Meanwhile, first responders are distributing one case of water per household until Sunday afternoon to be picked up at the Augusta Municipal Building.
Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson called Helene the worst storm in the city’s history.
Helene entered Georgia early Friday, with sustained winds of up to 100 mph, WABE reported. At least 17 people were killed, including one first responder, officials said.
Governor Brian Kemp said the stretch from Augusta to Valdosta was particularly hard hit, where some 115 structures took serious damage.
South Carolina
Residents wait in line with gas cans at a Gas Plus gas station after Hurricane Helene hit North Augusta, SC.
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The state’s death toll is highest in Spartanburg County, where at least five people have died, South Carolina Public Radio reported.
Power outages spread across the western part of the country. In Greenville County, the state’s most populous, more than 200,000 people were without power Sunday afternoon.
Tennessee
Unicoi County officials said 73 people were unaccounted for as of Sunday afternoon. No deaths have been confirmed, a spokesman for the Incident Management Team said at a press conference.
The county had perhaps the most dramatic escape from Helene’s wrath after flash floods left more than 50 people stuck on the roof of a small hospital in Erwin, in eastern Tennessee.
Erwin Utility said Sunday afternoon that 533 of its 5,195 water customers were without water.
Officials for Unicoi County Schools said during the conference that it was “unlikely” that school would return by the second week of October, but that the district was working to reopen as soon as possible.
