Emotional road to recovery continues across Southeast as Helene death toll surpasses 160
The effects of Hurricane Helene continue to be felt across the Southeast as first responders search for survivors. FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray is in Swannanoa, North Carolina, with the latest on the ongoing disaster.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Harrowing stories of heartbreak and survival are emerging in the Southeast as recovery operations continue after Hurricane Helene made landfall along the U.S. Gulf Coast last week, leaving more than 160 people dead and hundreds missing.
Helene is now the second-deadliest hurricane to strike the mainland U.S. in the last 55 years, topped only by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the most since Hurricane Camille hit the Gulf Coast in August 1969.
At least 161 people have been confirmed dead in six states - Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. That number is expected to rise as first responders continue to search for survivors and gain access to communities that were isolated after the flooding.
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Swannanoa, NC - October 1 : Members of the Illinois Water Rescue One team search through debris for survivors in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Swannanoa, North Carolina on Tuesday, Oct. 01, 2024. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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BAT CAVE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 1: A house along the Broad River in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on October 1, 2024 in Bat Cave, North Carolina. The death toll has topped 140 people across the southeastern U.S. due to the storm, according to published reports, which made landfall as a category 4 storm on Thursday. Millions are without power and the federal government has declared major disasters in areas of North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama, freeing up federal emergency management money and resources for those states, according to the reports. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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BAT CAVE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 1: North Carolina Route 9 in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on October 1, 2024 in Bat Cave, North Carolina. The death toll has topped 140 people across the southeastern U.S. due to the storm, according to published reports, which made landfall as a category 4 storm on Thursday. Millions are without power and the federal government has declared major disasters in areas of North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama, freeing up federal emergency management money and resources for those states, according to the reports. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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BAT CAVE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 1: A search and rescue team walks along North Carolina Route 9 in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on October 1, 2024 in Bat Cave, North Carolina. The death toll has topped 140 people across the southeastern U.S. due to the storm, according to published reports, which made landfall as a category 4 storm on Thursday. Millions are without power and the federal government has declared major disasters in areas of North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama, freeing up federal emergency management money and resources for those states, according to the reports. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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BAT CAVE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 1: A member of the Maryland National Guard descends a hill at a supply drop point in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on October 1, 2024 near Bat Cave, North Carolina. The death toll has topped 140 people across the southeastern U.S. due to the storm, according to published reports, which made landfall as a category 4 storm on Thursday. Millions are without power and the federal government has declared major disasters in areas of North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama, freeing up federal emergency management money and resources for those states, according to the reports. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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BAT CAVE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 1: Avery Sherrill salvages what he can from his destroyed family business, Mudtools, along the Broad River in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on October 1, 2024 in Bat Cave, North Carolina. The death toll has topped 140 people across the southeastern U.S. due to the storm, according to published reports, which made landfall as a category 4 storm on Thursday. Millions are without power and the federal government has declared major disasters in areas of North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama, freeing up federal emergency management money and resources for those states, according to the reports. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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BAT CAVE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 1: Avery Sherrill salvages what he can from his destroyed family business, Mudtools, along the Broad River in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on October 1, 2024 in Bat Cave, North Carolina. The death toll has topped 140 people across the southeastern U.S. due to the storm, according to published reports, which made landfall as a category 4 storm on Thursday. Millions are without power and the federal government has declared major disasters in areas of North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama, freeing up federal emergency management money and resources for those states, according to the reports. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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Avery Sherrill, left, and Atticus Sherrill, brothers, and their father Michael Sherrill salvage what they can from their destroyed business, Mudtools, along the Broad River in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on October 1, 2024 in Bat Cave, North Carolina.
(Sean Rayford)
This photo captures some of the catastrophic destruction left behind in Swannanoa, North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. More than 130 people across six states, including in North Carolina, have been confirmed dead as of Tuesday, Oct. 1 2024.
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This photo captures some of the catastrophic destruction left behind in Swannanoa, North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. More than 130 people across six states, including in North Carolina, have been confirmed dead as of Tuesday, Oct. 1 2024.
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This photo captures some of the catastrophic destruction left behind in Swannanoa, North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. More than 130 people across six states, including in North Carolina, have been confirmed dead as of Tuesday, Oct. 1 2024.
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This photo captures some of the catastrophic destruction left behind in Swannanoa, North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. More than 130 people across six states, including in North Carolina, have been confirmed dead as of Tuesday, Oct. 1 2024.
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This photo captures some of the catastrophic destruction left behind in Swannanoa, North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. More than 130 people across six states, including in North Carolina, have been confirmed dead as of Tuesday, Oct. 1 2024.
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This photo captures some of the catastrophic destruction left behind in Swannanoa, North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. More than 130 people across six states, including in North Carolina, have been confirmed dead as of Tuesday, Oct. 1 2024.
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This photo captures some of the catastrophic destruction left behind in Swannanoa, North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. More than 130 people across six states, including in North Carolina, have been confirmed dead as of Tuesday, Oct. 1 2024.
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This photo captures some of the catastrophic destruction left behind in Swannanoa, North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. More than 130 people across six states, including in North Carolina, have been confirmed dead as of Tuesday, Oct. 1 2024.
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This photo captures some of the catastrophic destruction left behind in Swannanoa, North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. More than 130 people across six states, including in North Carolina, have been confirmed dead as of Tuesday, Oct. 1 2024.
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This photo captures some of the catastrophic destruction left behind in Swannanoa, North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. More than 130 people across six states, including in North Carolina, have been confirmed dead as of Tuesday, Oct. 1 2024.
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Dan Murphy hugs his colleague after bringing his canoe to rescue them from their flooded home as the streets are flooded near Peachtree Creek after hurricane Helene brought in heavy rains overnight on September 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Hurricane Helene made landfall late Thursday night as a category 4 hurricane in the panhandle of Florida and is working its way north, it is now considered a tropical storm. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)
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A car in a flooded street is seen after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 27, 2024. Hurricane Helene weakened on September 27 hours after it made landfall in the US state of Florida, with officials warning the storm remained "extremely dangerous" as it surged inland, leaving flooded roads and homes in its wake. (Photo by Richard PIERRIN / AFP) (Photo by RICHARD PIERRIN/AFP via Getty Images)
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 27: A tree and power line lay across a road in Buckhead after hurricane Helene brought in heavy rains overnight on September 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Hurricane Helene made landfall late Thursday night as a category 4 hurricane in the panhandle of Florida and is working its way north, it is now considered a tropical storm. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)
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Workers, community members, and business owners clean up debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Marshall, North Carolina on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024.
(Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
A view of the damaged area at Asheville along with the western part of North-Carolina is devastated by the heavy rains and flooding after Hurricane Helene in Asheville, United States on September 30, 2024.
(Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Teams work on the damaged areas after hurricane Helene hits the Asheville along with the western part of North-Carolina in Asheville, United States on September 30, 2024.
(Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)
A destroyed home in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 30, 2024 near Black Mountain, North Carolina.
(Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
Soldiers assigned to the Connecticut, Maryland and North Carolina National Guard work together to distribute food and water to local first responders in Avery County on Sept 29, 2024. National Guard Aviation crews from Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Iowa are supporting the NC Emergency Management and the NCNG in response to citizens affected by Helene. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Leticia Samuels)
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Leticia Samuels)
Soldiers assigned to the Connecticut, Maryland and North Carolina National Guard work together to distribute food and water to local first responders in Avery County on Sept 29, 2024. National Guard Aviation crews from Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Iowa are supporting the NC Emergency Management and the NCNG in response to citizens affected by Helene. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Leticia Samuels)
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Leticia Samuels)
Soldiers assigned to the Connecticut, Maryland and North Carolina National Guard work together to distribute food and water to local first responders in Avery County on Sept 29, 2024. National Guard Aviation crews from Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Iowa are supporting the NC Emergency Management and the NCNG in response to citizens affected by Helene. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Leticia Samuels)
(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Leticia Samuels)
North Carolina Air National Guard hauls over 100,000 pounds of supplies from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a C17 to Western North Carolina as a part of Tropical Storm Helene support. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Monica Ebert)
(U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Monica Ebert)
North Carolina Air National Guard hauls over 100,000 pounds of supplies from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a C17 to Western North Carolina as a part of Tropical Storm Helene support. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Monica Ebert)
(U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Monica Ebert)
ASHEVILLE, USA - SEPTEMBER 30: A view of the damaged area at Asheville along with the western part of North-Carolina is devastated by the heavy rains and flooding after Hurricane Helene in Asheville, United States on September 30, 2024 (Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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ASHEVILLE, USA - SEPTEMBER 30: A view of the damaged area at Asheville along with the western part of North-Carolina is devastated by the heavy rains and flooding after Hurricane Helene in Asheville, United States on September 30, 2024 (Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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ASHEVILLE, USA - SEPTEMBER 30: Teams carry out search and rescue operations after the hurricane Helene hits the Asheville along with the western part of North-Carolina in Asheville, United States on September 30, 2024. The death toll in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene climbed to 130 Monday night as rescue crews in the southeast US frantically continued their search for survivors. (Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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President Joe Biden is expected to travel to the region Wednesday and will take an aerial tour of western North Carolina areas that were decimated after the historic hurricane. He's then expected to meet with first responders and local officials on the ground.
The destruction is immense.
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Life-saving supplies are being brought in and distributed to communities that were hit hard by the storm, including areas of western North Carolina that were cut off from those rescue operations when catastrophic flooding destroyed hundreds of roads and bridges and cut off communications to those who were trapped with a dwindling supply of food and water.
Help from across the U.S. has descended upon the region, and it will likely require years to recover.
Why is it taking so long to get aid into North Carolina?
Destruction, mountainous terrain making it difficult to get life-saving supplies to communities hit hard by Helene
It's been nearly a week since Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina counties, and many residents are still waiting for life-saving supplies as repairs are made and debris is cleared. FOX Weather Correspondent Craig Herrera explains why it's been so difficult to get help to those who need it most.
Hundreds of people have been rescued, and the search is continuing for hundreds more who haven’t been heard from since the deadly hurricane impacted the region.
Roads and bridges have been washed away, and communications have been almost non-existent after the floodwaters destroyed critical infrastructure.
Officials in hard-hit Buncombe County say they have partnered with Verizon to bring in mobile cell towers to help restore some service, and officials are hopeful that will help aid in the search for those who are missing.
Aid has been flowing into hard-hit areas of western North Carolina, but the destruction and mountainous terrain have made it difficult to get life-saving supplies to those who need it.
BAT CAVE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 1: A citizen rescue team looks for a way to move supplies across the Broad River in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on October 1, 2024 near Bat Cave, North Carolina. The death toll has topped 140 people across the southeastern U.S. due to the storm, according to published reports, which made landfall as a category 4 storm on Thursday. Millions are without power and the federal government has declared major disasters in areas of North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama, freeing up federal emergency management money and resources for those states, according to the reports. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Time is of the essence, and while food, water and medical supplies have reached some victims, not everyone has been reached.
"FEMA is working with us on the ground," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said on Tuesday. "In addition to other help, they’ve delivered about 1 million liters of water and more than 600,000 meals to North Carolina so far."
Asheville sits about 2,100 feet above sea level, and the mountains reach much higher above the town.
Other communities, such as Chimney Rock, sit high in the mountains, and the steep terrain and thick forest make it difficult for rescuers to reach homes.
Mom watches son, parents get swept away in Asheville flood
'We lost our baby': North Carolina family loses 3 after climbing to roof to escape floods
Three members of a North Carolina family, including a 7-year-old boy, died in the disastrous flooding from Helene. Now, the survivors share their story of immense grief and comforting faith.
More than 70 people are now confirmed dead in North Carolina, with dozens of those coming from Buncombe County, which is home to the city of Asheville.
Scenes from small towns such as Chimney Rock, Swannanoa and Biltmore Village show entire sections of the region either destroyed or washed away due to the flooding.
Stories of heartbreak and loss fill the close-knit communities as a barrage of devastating images come in, showing the scale of the destruction caused by what some call "biblical" flooding.
An Asheville mother tearfully recounted how she lost her 7-year-old son and her parents when the floodwaters overwhelmed her neighborhood, sending her family to the roof of their home as they scrambled for safety.
VIDEO SHOWS CHIMNEY ROCK COMPLETELY DESTROYED AS HELENE UNLEASHES CATASTROPHIC FLOODING ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA
'Whoa!': Mudslide triggered by Helene nearly takes out couple driving in North Carolina
Dashcam footage shot on Friday morning shows the moment a couple barely escaped a mudslide that came crashing onto an interstate in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. (Courtesy: Alan Keffer via Storyful)
However, the floodwaters eventually broke apart the home, sending all four into the river.
"(My son) reached for something past flesh, past human, past anything that even grown adults, I think, would reach for," Meghan Drye said. "My son called out to the one God Almighty. And I think at that moment he was rescued, and he became my hero, and I think all of them carried me through that moment."
In Avery County, a harrowing video provided by Vlado Novakovic showed his home in Newland being swept away Friday by the powerful currents.
Others narrowly escaped the wrath of the flash floods. A couple in Lake Luna had to run for it when floodwaters started pouring into town.
At least 9 dead in Tennessee as help pours in
Nancy Barger talks about efforts to help Helene victims
Knoxville radio personality and business owner Nancy Barger says she is doing whatever she can to help raise money and supplies for those who have been impacted by Hurricane Helene in Tennessee and North Carolina.
More than 100 people required rescuing in northeastern Tennessee from Helene’s floods. At least nine people have died, and others remain missing as search efforts continue.
At Impact Plastics in Erwin, two people died and five others were rescued by a National Guard helicopter crew during the flooding.
Erwin was devastated when the Nolichucky River overwhelmed the town with record-high water levels. At one point. dozens of patients and staff were trapped on the roof of the hospital. The flooding also sparked fears of a dam collapse.
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Helene flooding puts Asheville's Hi-Wire Brewing underwater
Hi-Wire Brewing sustained major damage at its River Arts District location in the Asheville area. Bryna Frosaker, owner and chief people officer of Hi-Wire said all of their employees are safe but the physical damage will take time to repair. A timeline on when power and water will return may determine when the brewery can reopen.
In order to help existing water supplies last longer and support ongoing recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene, officials have issued a mandatory water conservation order for all or parts of nine counties that were impacted by the storm in Upper East Tennessee.
"Our thoughts and prayers remain with our fellow Tennesseans dealing with the severity of damage caused by the storm," said Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Commissioner David Salyers. "In this critical time of limited resources, clean water is essential for recovery, and we call upon all citizens in these affected areas to conserve as much water as is possible."
TDEC said many local water utilities are no longer operational or have been cut off from distrubution systems, and those water conservation measures aim to help existing water supplies last longer.
The water conservation order is in addition to a boil water advisory that was also put into place after the storm.
Georgia sees widespread damage from Helene
Helene devastates parts of Georgia as recovery operations continue
The damage left behind in Georgia after deadly Hurricane Helene is widespread, and the governor is vowing to get everything cleaned up. FOX 5 Atlanta Reporter Tyler Fingert was in August where cleanup efforts are continuing.
At least 25 people were killed in Georgia when Hurricane Helene made its trek across portions of the eastern and central U.S. last week, and cleanup efforts there are well underway.
Atlanta saw its first-ever Flash Flood Emergency due to record rain across the region, and power is slowly being restored.
The damage in Augusta is widespread, with trees and other debris still lying across roads, on homes and on vehicles.
WATCH: CASKET RUSHES BY IN RAGING TENNESSEE FLOODWATER CAUSED BY HELENE
"It’s my house," Crystal Watson told FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Tyler Fingert. "I’ve lived here for my daughter’s entire life."
She said that when Hurricane Helene was impacting the area, four trees went crashing down onto her home, narrowly missing two bedrooms where people were sleeping.
Damage isn’t only localized to Augusta, however.
Dan Murphy hugs his colleague after bringing his canoe to rescue them from their flooded home as the streets are flooded near Peachtree Creek after hurricane Helene brought in heavy rains overnight on September 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)
On Monday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp got a bird’s-eye view of the devastation.
"This hurricane, it looks like a 250-mile-wide tornado hit," he said.
Among the dead in Georgia are a 27-year-old mother and her 1-month-old twin boys who died when a tree fell onto their mobile home outside Augusta.
Kemp said he’s working with federal partners to get help to areas that need it most.
"This storm literally spared no one," he said.