Nearly three weeks after Helene swept through the Southeast, many communities are still reeling from its impacts as the extent of its devastation is coming into focus.
Nearly three weeks after Helene swept through the Southeast, many communities are still reeling from its impacts as the extent of its devastation is coming into focus.
Some families continue to live without water or power, describing their situation as camping inside their own homes, according to FOX Weather Correspondent Katie Byrne.
The lack of infrastructure has forced some people to retrieve water from nearby rivers and streams with buckets, so they may use the water to flush their toilets.
Destroyed buildings in Bat Cave, North Carolina. One of the buildings has crumbled into the river below.
(Mario Tama / Getty Images)
Roads are left impassable, making access to some areas nearly impossible. In some cases, bridges are built out of debris, and helicopters are being used to reach isolated areas.
Power outages persist, with most of them being in North Carolina. As of Saturday afternoon, nearly 30,000 residences and businesses in the Tar Heel State were still without power.
HELENE KILLS 11 MEMBERS OF THE SAME FAMILY AFTER MUDSLIDE DESTROYS THEIR COMMUNITY
North Carolina is also where most Helene-related fatalities occurred. More than 120 deaths were attributed to Helene, and that number is expected to rise.
SWANNANOA, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 02: Emily Ogburn, right, hugs her friend Cody Klein after he brought her a meal on October 2, 2024 in Swannanoa, North Carolina.
(Melissa Sue Gerrits / Getty Images)
Officials are still in the midst of recovery efforts, looking for missing individuals inside cars, damaged homes and where debris has gathered downstream.
To assist those impacted by Helene, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed a disaster relief package, for efforts that are expected to take years.