‘It’s shocking’: Asheville devastated after historic floods from Helene

Remnants from Hurricane Helene drenched the state of North Carolina, dropping nearly 30 inches, or about 4 months’ worth of rain, in only three days.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Catastrophic floods from the torrential rains of Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across the mountain town of Asheville, North Carolina causing mudslides, knocking out power, cell service, a clean water supply and leaving many residents unaccounted for.

Remnants from Helene drenched the state of North Carolina, dropping nearly 30 inches in some spots – or about 4 months’ worth of rain, in only three days.

In Asheville, 14 inches of rain fell over those three days, setting an all-time record. The torrential downpours sent the Swannanoa River to rise to levels higher than its record crest, set in 1791.

NORTH CAROLINA DEVASTATED BY FLOODWATERS CAUSED BY HELENE

Buncombe County officials said they’ve had over 130 water rescues and have evacuated more than 600 people from dangerous situations.

However, some people are missing. Four homes were affected by a mudslide, and the people who were inside those homes remain unaccounted for.

"It's shocking," Asheville resident Russell Jones said to FOX News Multimedia Reporter Chelsea Torres. "It's one of those things where you're not expecting the river to just be that massive."

Jones noted that trees had fallen on homes and cars and across roads, but people were out with chainsaws trying to clear the debris.

In the meantime, widespread power outages persist. Cell service is limited to the town's hospital emergency room, the one public library in town and just one hotel still with service.

"You’ll see crowds of people outside just trying to send a text, make a call," Torres said. "Do whatever they can to make sure someone is safe or they can let someone know that they are safe."

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As of Saturday afternoon, two lives have been lost in North Carolina due to the remnants of Hurricane Helene.

Editor's Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated North Carolina had at least 19 deaths from Helene.