Helene latest: 64 dead, over 1,000 people unaccounted for in western NC
The death toll continues to climb and some 2.5 million people remained without power Sunday as recovery in the Southeast US begins from devastating Hurricane Helene.
President Joe Biden said Helene’s destruction has been "overwhelming" and pledged to send help. He also approved a disaster declaration for North Carolina, making federal funding available for affected individuals.
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At least 64 people have died in the storm, which hit the Big Bend region of Florida Thursday night as a Category 4 hurricane and ravaged parts of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee. In Buncombe County, North Carolina, where hard-hit Asheville is located, more than 1,000 names have been added to a database of people who haven't been in contact with friends or family, the county manager said at a news briefing Sunday.
Hurricane Helene: the cost of a natural disaster
The Biden Administration announced multiple emergency declarations for states across the southeastern portion of the country. The economic impact of Hurricane Helene will be felt far beyond the region. Professor Gregory Upton of Louisiana State University joins LiveNOW from FOX to discuss.
In Atlanta, 11.12 inches (28.24 centimeters) of rain fell over 48 hours, the most the city has seen over two days since record keeping began in 1878.
In Florida,11 of the confirmed deaths were nine people who drowned in their homes in a mandatory evacuation area on the Gulf Coast in Pinellas County, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said.
None of the victims were from Taylor County, which is where the storm made landfall. It came ashore near the mouth of the Aucilla River, about 20 miles northwest of where Hurricane Idalia hit last year at nearly the same ferocity.
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At least 73 people are unaccounted for in Unicoi County, east Tennessee, where on Friday crews sent helicopters to rescue dozens of people trapped on the rooftop of a flooded hospital.
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Western North Carolina was cut off because of landslides and flooding that forced the closure of Interstate 40 and other roads. All those closures delayed the start of the East Tennessee State University football game against The Citadel because the Buccaneers' drive to Charleston, South Carolina, took 16 hours.
Moody’s Analytics estimated $15 billion to $26 billion in property damage. According to AccuWeather, total damage and economic loss from Helene in the U.S. could range from $95 billion to $110 billion.
Asheville, North Carolina hit hard
Hurricane Recovery: FEMA responds to disaster in North Carolina
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper called the ongoing disaster "catastrophic," as the state manages its worst flooding in a century. Search and rescue teams from 19 states, as well as the federal government, are on the ground trying to help residents. Cell phone service is down, and the governor's office reports more than 200 people have been rescued from flood waters so far. FEMA's Acting Director of Response and Recovery, Keith Turi, joins LiveNOW from FOX with the latest operation details.
Helene unleashed the worst flooding in a century in North Carolina, leaving Asheville, the state’s largest mountain city, under water and isolated with no power and impassable roads.
Sheriff Quintin Miller said there were at least 10 deaths in Buncombe County, which includes Asheville. Downed cell towers have hindered efforts to contact next of kin. Relatives put out desperate pleas for help on Facebook. More than 1,000 names have been added to a database of people who haven't been in contact with friends or family, the Buncombe County manager said at a news briefing Sunday.
Asheville, a hub of tourism and arts with about 94,000 residents, was unusually still after floodwaters swamped neighborhoods known for drawing visitors including Biltmore Village and the River Arts District, which is home to numerous galleries, shops and breweries.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said supplies were being airlifted to that part of the state. Buncombe County officials said Interstate 26 between Asheville and South Carolina had reopened, but most other routes into the city were impassible.
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In Asheville, there was no cellular service and no timeline for restoration. Residents were also directed to boil their water. Local officials said they were working on setting up hubs to distribute food and water.