The death toll rises as rescue crews respond to Hurricane Helene’s devastation

As rescue teams continued to respond in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s destruction in the Southeast U.S. and southern Appalachia on Sunday, the death toll continued to climb. Hundreds remained missing across the region.

At least 64 people were killed across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, The Associated Press reported. Many people drowned after not heeding evacuation orders; others were killed in their homes and cars by falling trees and road signs. At least two Georgians were killed when a tornado picked up their car.

Large portions of the region remained in darkness with power still knocked out to more than 2 million customers in five states on Sunday evening, nearly three days after Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region.

Residents were reminded to avoid unnecessary travel and to stay out of floodwaters because of health risks.

North Carolina

Over the weekend, much of western North Carolina faced communications blackouts, power outages, fuel shortages and no drinkable water. Floodwaters remained, impeding travel.

On Sunday afternoon, critical supplies started to reach areas in need, Gov. Roy Cooper’s office said, as crews made progress toward restoring power and cellphone service and repairing roads.

Cooper confirmed that at least 11 people were killed in storm-related deaths in the state, and hundreds were rescued from floodwaters.

“Many people are cut off, because roads are impassable,” Cooper said in an afternoon press conference. “Please know that we are sending resources.”

Supplies were being airlifted to the region around the mountain city of Asheville, he said. But those supply deliveries did not include potable water, Buncombe County officials said late Sunday afternoon.

County officials also said the death toll there had reached 30 people, with more than 500 unaccounted for, as of early afternoon.

“This is an unprecedented tragedy that requires an unprecedented response,” Cooper said.

“Rapid progress” was being made by cell network providers to restore service, the governor said.

Officials said residents should only drink treated and bottled water until public water systems were back online.

Travel remained limited and dangerous from landslides and flooding, with some 280 state-maintained roads still closed as of Sunday afternoon, including parts of Interstates 26 and 40.

Officials repeated warnings for non-emergency vehicles to stay off the roads so as not to impede cleanup crews, utility repairs and supply runs.

“The best thing you can do for us now is stay home,” said state Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins.

More than 500,000 homes and businesses statewide remained without power on Sunday evening, according to Poweroutage.us.

Twenty-four emergency shelters had opened, with a combined capacity of 942 residents. Shelter information could be found at readync.gov.

Florida

Hours before Helene made landfall on Thursday in the sparsely populated areas of Florida’s Big Bend region, its 120-mph winds produced a storm surge that sent more than 5 feet of water — reaching 16 feet in some areas — along large swaths of Florida’s west coast.

Helene turned the Tampa Bay region into the state’s deadly epicenter, where the death toll reached nine people on Sunday. All deaths took place in a mandatory evacuation zone. The majority were the result of rising waters or apparent drownings, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said.

NPR member station WUSF reported that cooling stations and libraries were opened to county residents in St. Petersburg, Largo, Madeira Beach, Seminole and Clearwater, where people could find air conditioning and charge their devices.

Pinellas County public schools were set to reopen on Monday, except for three that were damaged seriously in the storm, WUSF reported.

Georgia

Georgians are being asked to conserve water in Augusta after trash and debris in the Savannah River had clogged the city’s water filtration systems. Emergency management officials said at a press briefing Sunday afternoon that water services should be restored within 24 to 48 hours.

Meanwhile, first responders were distributing one case of water per household until Sunday evening for pick-up at Augusta’s Municipal Building.

Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson called Helene the worst storm in the city’s history.

Helene entered Georgia early Friday, with wind gusts as high as 100 mph, WABE reported. At least 17 people died, including one first responder, officials said.

Gov. Brian Kemp said the stretch from Augusta to Valdosta was particularly hard hit, where some 115 structures took serious damage.

South Carolina

The state’s death toll was highest in Spartanburg County, where at least five were killed, South Carolina Public Radio reported.

Power outages were widespread in the western half of the state. In Greenville County, the state’s most populous, more than 200,000 people lacked power on Sunday evening.

Tennessee

Unicoi County officials said 73 people were unaccounted for as of Sunday afternoon. There were no confirmed deaths, an Incident Management Team spokesperson said at a press conference.

The county saw perhaps the most dramatic rescue from Helene’s wrath after rising floodwaters left more than 50 people stuck on the roof of a small hospital in Erwin, in east Tennessee.

Erwin Utility said on Sunday evening that 533 of its 5,195 water customers were without water.

An official for Unicoi County Schools said during the conference that it’s “unlikely” schools will be back in session by the second week of October, but that the district is working to get schools reopened as soon as possible.