Hurricane Central
By Tim Harris, Renee Straker and Jan Childs
less than an hour ago
At a Glance
- More than 110 people are dead across six states.
- Over 2 million homes and businesses remained without power Monday.
- Flash flooding and landslides in western North Carolina have isolated many people.
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At least 114 people are dead after Hurricane Helene left a path of destruction across the Southeast.
The storm brought catastrophic flooding, tornado damage, downed trees and other impacts from Florida into Appalachia.
As of Monday morning, more than 2 million homes and businesses remained without power, according to PowerOutage.us.
Some parts of western North Carolina are cut off by mudslides and flooding, prompting officials to send in supplies, food and water via air. And across the Southeast, many communities are in recovery mode due to significant damage.
Here’s the latest:
All Roads Closed In Western North Carolina
The state Department of Transportation says all roads in Western North Carolina are considered closed and non-emergency travel is prohibited. Many other roads in the state are also impacted.
"I-40 is impassable in multiple locations. I-26 is closed at the Tennessee state line," an alert at the top of the state's online road closure map says. "There are many closed roads that are not listed on this site as many areas are not able to report at this time."
Death Toll Rises
At least 42 people are now confirmed dead in North Carolina, 29 in South Carolina, 25 in Georgia, 15 in Florida, two in Tennessee and one in Virginia.
'The Devastation Is Unthinkable'
"We know we have areas in Fairview, Black Mountain, Swannanoa and Barnardsville where the devastation is unthinkable. These communities no longer resemble what they were a week ago," said Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder. "Loved ones are still trapped."
Buncombe County officials said they had received 1,000 reports of people unaccounted for though that number had dropped to 600 by Monday morning, officials told CBS 17. The number was originally anticipated to drop as cell and internet service was slowly restored. It's unclear how many people may truly be missing and how many people are simply cut off from contact with their loved ones. County officials told people to stay away from the area. “Do not come here, we can not accommodate you.”
On Sunday morning, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced that President Joe Biden approved his request for a Federal Major Disaster Declaration, providing immediate federal help for the western North Carolina region. This declaration is in addition to the federal emergency declaration that was in place before Tropical Storm Helene hit the state.
The National Weather Service Office in Greenville and Spartanburg also shared a heartfelt message on Twitter to residents of the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia, saying no words could express their sorrow for the devastation and loss of life.
Flood Emergency In Asheville
As Helene barged inland, western North Carolina faced devastating flooding with some areas submerged under feet of water. Other neighborhoods were isolated by standing water or mudslides. “Over 400 roads remain closed in North Carolina,” the North Carolina Department of Transportation said Saturday. “All roads in Western NC should be considered closed.”
The National Guard and local first responders were entrenched in rescue missions as many people were stranded. Search teams were guided by information given in 911 calls and in messages via social media. One rescue mission involved the rescue of 41 people north of Asheville. Another rescue mission was launched to save an infant child. More than 50 search teams were spread throughout the region to search for stranded people.
One woman told the Associated Press that her family in the Asheville area has been unreachable. “I think that people are just completely stuck, wherever they are, with no cell service, no electricity,” she said.
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Pinder promised food and water supplies would be airlifted to the county, where Asheville is located, by Monday.
Sunday night, residents of Black Mountain, North Carolina, were alerted to a possible failure of the Bee Tree Dam. That warning was later rescinded after a FEMA inspection of the dam confirmed its safety.
Federal Government, New York State Offer Assistance
President Biden has pledged assistance from the federal government calling the devastation "overwhelming." FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell was in Georgia on Sunday and planned to visit North Carolina Monday. New York governor Kathy Hochul said Monday that the New York State Incident Management Team was heading to Asheville to assist with recovery efforts.
Power Outages Significant
Nearly 2 million homes and businesses remained without power across the Southeast entering the new week, according to PowerOutage.us. But at the peak, more than double that number of homes and businesses were without power.
Georgia Electric Membership Corp. reports that 100 high-transmission lines were lost in the state. Duke Energy, with many customers in North Carolina, say linemen are out working to reconnect service for homes and businesses.
The Associated Press reports that, in South Carolina, crews had to cut their way through debris before they could even assess the damage in some places.
(MORE: Landslides Cut Off Popular North Carolina Waterfall)
Big Bend Region Hit Hard
The Big Bend region in Florida was another of the hardest-hit areas. Many residents in the region found their homes or roads completely washed away. Some coastal and island towns like Cedar Key endured storm surge flooding in excess of 15 feet above the ground.
By Saturday and Sunday, some residents and business owners were allowed to return to beach communities and barrier islands like Treasure Island, Clearwater Beach and St. Pete Beach. Pinellas County offered bus services to others who wanted to leave the barrier islands where many were still without power and running water on Sunday.
Landfall Tracked On Satellite
Helene was a huge storm. Tropical-storm-force winds extended over 300 miles out from the center just before landfall. The storm’s landfall and path was tracked on satellite from space. You can watch it here.
Helene’s Historic Trek
Here’s a look at some of Helene’s eye-popping stats:
-Strongest hurricane landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region.
-Third hurricane to make landfall there in 13 months.
-Estimated peak surge of 10.33 feet in Cedar Key appeared to break a record dating back to a hurricane in 1896.
-More than a foot of rain fell in parts of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Nearly 30 inches was recorded near Busick, North Carolina.
(MORE: Our Full Recap Of Hurricane Helene)