The death toll continues to rise after Hurricane Helene carved a path of devastation across the Southeast from Florida to the Carolinas and into the Tennessee Valley. FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray is in North Carolina where communities remain cut off due to the destruction.
BOONE, N.C. – Crews are continuing to clear debris, restore power and get food and water to trapped residents days after Hurricane Helene carved a path of destruction across the Southeast, leaving nearly 100 people dead in several states.
The Category 4 hurricane made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region late Thursday night, with winds of 140 mph and a devastating storm surge that lashed the area and left widespread destruction from the Sunshine State through Georgia into the Carolinas and Tennessee Valley as the storm traveled across the U.S.
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A motorist passes around downed trees on the road in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 29, 2024 in Fletcher, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter lifts off in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 29, 2024 near Davistown, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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People wait in line for gasoline in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 29, 2024 in Fletcher, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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Downed trees on a home in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 29, 2024 in Rutherfordton, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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People wait in line for gasoline in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 29, 2024 in Fletcher, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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Motorists pass under downed trees hanging on utility cables in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 29, 2024 in Fletcher, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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People view damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 29, 2024 in Old Fort, North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
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Residents walk along Catawba Avenue while debris is cleared in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 29, 2024 in Old Fort, North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
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People line up to fill their gas tanks at an Exxon station off Highway 40 on September 29, 2024 in Marion, North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
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Heavy rains from Hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage on September 28, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
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Flood damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 29, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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Damage from flooding in the Biltmore Village in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 28, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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Flood damage inside a building in the Biltmore Village in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 28, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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A van is partially submerged in the Swannanoa River in the Biltmore Village in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 29, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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Heavy rains from hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage on September 28, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
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Residents gather at Fire Station number 6 to access WiFi after heavy rains from Hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage on September 28, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
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More than 200 people were reported rescued from flood waters in North Carolina following Helene’s torrential rains with more expected in the coming days. (Billy Bowling / LSM)
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Hurricane Helene has brought days of rain to western North Carolina, which has caused complete devastation in areas like Chimney Rock. (Banff Luther via Storyful)
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Hurricane Helene has brought days of rain to western North Carolina, which has caused complete devastation in areas like Chimney Rock. (Banff Luther via Storyful)
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Hurricane Helene has brought days of rain to western North Carolina, which has caused complete devastation in areas like Chimney Rock. (Banff Luther via Storyful)
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Kisner bridge collapses into the Nolichucky River. (Landon Duckett via Storyful)
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Interstate 40 collapse in North Carolina. (NCDOT)
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Damage left behind in Keaton Beach, Florida on Sept. 28, 2024 in the wake of Hurricane Helene. (Robert Ray)
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Damage left behind in Keaton Beach, Florida on Sept. 28, 2024 in the wake of Hurricane Helene. (Robert Ray)
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Damage left behind in Keaton Beach, Florida on Sept. 28, 2024 in the wake of Hurricane Helene. (Robert Ray)
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Damage left behind in Keaton Beach, Florida on Sept. 28, 2024 in the wake of Hurricane Helene. (Robert Ray)
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Damage left behind in Keaton Beach, Florida on Sept. 28, 2024 in the wake of Hurricane Helene. (Robert Ray)
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Debris left by Hurricane Helene after making landfall are seen in Cedar Key, Florida, on September 27, 2024. (MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP)
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A boat which was pushed ashore by Hurricane Helene sits on dry ground in Keaton Beach, Florida, on September 27, 2024. (MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP)
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Friends talk after having canoed the flooded South Fork New River for 32 minutes and landing at a washed out road on September 27, 2024 in Boone, North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits)
Millions of people were plunged into darkness as the hurricane’s effects brought down trees and utility lines and destroyed homes, businesses and infrastructure.
As of Monday, those outage numbers dropped to 2.1 million – a sign that the nonstop work of utility crews was paying off.
And while power is slowly being restored, that’s only one of the obstacles first responders and residents are facing as those recovery operations after the disaster continue.
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Death toll rises in North Carolina
More than 200 people were reported rescued from floodwaters in North Carolina following Helene’s torrential rains with more expected in the coming days.
Dozens of people have been killed in North Carolina and hundreds remain unaccounted for due to lack of communication access in western parts of the state that were hit hard by Helene’s effects.
“This unprecedented storm dropped 10 to 29 inches of rain across the mountains, causing life-threatening floods and landslides,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said on Sunday.
Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller announced additional deaths from Helene’s flooding over the weekend and said the death toll may continue to rise.
Dozens of people are confirmed dead in several states in the wake of Hurricane Helene, and many communities remain unreachable because of the storm’s impacts. FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar is in Boone where debris from destroyed buildings and roads litter the area as crews desperately try and get aid to those who remain trapped with no way out.
At least 38 people have died in North Carolina from storm-related impacts, according to state and local officials.
President Joe Biden approved a Major Disaster Declaration for North Carolina on Saturday, and more than 800 FEMA staff, along with distribution centers and equipment, have been deployed across the states affected by Helene.
DRONE VIDEO OF HISTORIC BILTMORE VILLAGE UNDERWATER AFTER FLOODING IN NORTH CAROLINA
Cell signal is hard to come by in parts of western North Carolina after Helene brought catastrophic flooding and cut off communities. FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar describes the difficulty getting access to Boone, North Carolina and the damages she saw while reporting on the flooding.
Flooding has cut off access to supplies for parts of North Carolina. Fuel, food, and water are in short supply, causing tensions to run high in Buncombe County. Local media report arguments breaking out at gas stations and lines “miles long” for fuel.
When asked about the delay in supplies and tensions at open gas stations, the Buncombe County sheriff said supplies are delayed because many roads have been destroyed. The Sheriff’s Office is considering posting deputies at gas stations.
‘GET OUT OF THE WAY!: BRIDGE COLLAPSES INTO RIVER FLOODED BY HELENE IN EAST TENNESSEE
Storm surge causes catastrophic damage along Florida’s Gulf Coast
An aerial view of Treasure Island, Florida, at first light post-Hurricane Helene paints a stark picture of devastation on Friday.
The storm surge caused by Hurricane Helene led to catastrophic damage along Florida’s Gulf Coast, with the Big Bend region seeing the highest inundation exceeding 15 feet, while cities like Tampa and Clearwater Beach saw their highest storm surge level in decades.
The small barrier island of Treasure Island was particularly devastated, with widespread flooding and property damage. Four people died on the barrier island because of Helene’s impacts, according to Treasure Island police.
‘DANGEROUS RESCUE OPERATION’ SAVES DOZENS TRAPPED ON ROOF OF FLOODED TENNESSEE HOSPITAL
Hurricane Helene brought several feet of storm surge to Florida, including to this neighborhood in Cedar Key.
Residents of Florida’s Keaton Beach also experienced Helene’s effects, and they are still picking up the pieces.
“Seen a lot of bad storms on this river and seen people recover from a lot,” Steven Hatchett told FOX Weather’s Robert Ray. “But I’ve never seen anything this magnitude – not even the (1993) Storm of the Century or any of the hurricanes.”
Hatchett said buildings that had been there his whole life were gone.