By Gauri Patel
Staff Writer
Hurricane Helene brought life-threatening flooding to parts of the southeastern United States on Sep. 27, killing hundreds of people and leaving many more missing. The high winds, storm surge and torrential rain made Helene the deadliest hurricane to make landfall on the mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, according to The Associated Press.
Helene made landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane packing 140 m.p.h. winds before cutting a devastating path through several states, including North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
Heavy flooding and landslides have devastated entire towns, wiping out homes and businesses and leaving millions without drinkable water or electricity for days. Widespread power outages and limited cellphone signals complicated officials’ efforts to respond to emergency calls.
According to The Associated Press, more than 1.1 million customers had no power in North
Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia a week after Helene made landfall. Utility companies have been working diligently to restore service, but the extensive damage, such as downed power lines and washed-away poles, require more time for repairs and reconstruction.
In addition, the scale of the devastation from the aftermath of Helene has slowed efforts to find many missing victims and get supplies to stranded communities. In many states, residents and communities have become isolated due to flooded or broken-up roads, fallen trees and other debris. In eastern Tennessee, helicopters rescued more than 50 people from the roof of a hospital after rising floodwaters prevented ambulances and emergency vehicles reaching the facility, according to The New York Times.
The death toll from Hurricane Helene climbs daily as rescuers and volunteers continue to search for survivors. As of Oct. 4, officials have reported at least 228 deaths in six states including Florida and Virginia, caused by flooding, vehicle crashes, fallen trees and a tornado, according to The New York Times.
North Carolina has been among the hardest-hit states, with some areas receiving over two feet of rainfall. At least 116 deaths have been reported in the state, with over half of those in Buncombe County. The county, which includes the hard-hit tourist city of Asheville, has about 75 active missing persons cases remaining, according to The Associated Press.
President Joe Biden traveled to North Carolina and South Carolina to meet with officials and survey the damage. He took an aerial tour of Asheville in the Marine One helicopter, flying over roads flooded with muddy, brown water, submerged houses and splintered trees, with extensive damage in areas near the rivers.
"You can see homes that have moved clearly from one side of the river down the river to another side," Biden said in Raleigh, according to Reuters. "And I can only imagine what it's like to have been in one of those homes."
Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris visited the storm-ravaged city of Augusta, Georgia, where she praised relief workers for their efforts and emphasized the importance of coordinating local, state and federal support in helping the community recover.
Former President Donald Trump, who is running against Harris in the upcoming presidential election, made false claims about Biden’s response to the natural disaster in a visit to the battleground state of Georgia.
According to Reuters, Trump falsely claimed that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp "was having a hard time" reaching Biden to discuss Hurricane Helene's impacts on his state. However, earlier in the day, Kemp told reporters that he was able to connect with Biden after initially missing his call and said he was grateful for the federal assistance Biden had offered.
Trump has also claimed that federal emergency relief money meant for Americans hit hard by Hurricane Helene had instead been spent on migrants in the U.S. illegally. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has responded to this claim on its dedicated fact-checking page, saying the assistance “has not been diverted to other, non-disaster related efforts.”
A statement from the White House stated that, so far, more than $110 million have been given to communities affected by Hurricane Helene. FEMA has also shipped over 11.5 million meals and more than 12.6 million liters of water, and more than 5,600 federal personnel have been deployed on the ground to help in recovery efforts.
"In a moment like this, we put politics aside," Biden said during his visit in Raleigh, according to Reuters. "There are no Democrats, Republicans — there are only Americans. And our job is to help as many people as we can, as quickly as we can and as thoroughly as we can."
