According to officials, at least 100 individuals have lost their lives due to catastrophic floods that swept through the southeastern United States. The emergency response efforts are rapidly becoming a topic of political contention in a region that could influence the upcoming presidential election.
Rescue teams are working to locate survivors and distribute supplies throughout Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, where severe rainfall brought by Storm Helene wreaked havoc.
Residents are experiencing power outages, supply shortages, road blockages, and disrupted communication lines, particularly in the often rugged terrain.
High winds and heavy rain battered towns and cities in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Republican candidate Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Valdosta in Georgia, a central area of the flooding destruction and a crucial state in the closely contested election occurring in just five weeks.
President Biden, who has authorized federal assistance for several states affected by the disaster, plans to travel to the hardest-hit areas this week, “as soon as it will not disrupt emergency response activities,” the White House announced yesterday. Vice President Harris will also visit the affected regions.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper mentioned that numerous roads have been destroyed and many communities have been “wiped off the map.”
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“This is an unprecedented storm,” he stated at a press conference. “We are working to send in supplies. The emotional and physical toll here is beyond words.”
“Rivers are still on the rise, so the threat is not yet over.”
He added that long-term rebuilding strategies would need to consider the reality of increasingly extreme weather, “but for now, our focus is on saving lives and delivering supplies to those in urgent need.”
Experts have indicated that climate change likely contributes to the rapid intensification of hurricanes, as warmer oceans provide them with more energy to draw upon.
The death toll has reached at least 100 individuals — 39 in North Carolina, 25 in South Carolina, 17 in Georgia, 14 in Florida, four in Tennessee, and one in Virginia, as reported by local authorities compiled by AFP. This number is expected to rise.
Read more: Son pays tribute to Cork man who died in Hurricane Helene in Florida
Nearly two million households and businesses are currently without power, according to tracker poweroutage.us.
Helene made landfall on Florida’s northern Gulf shore as a powerful Category Four hurricane late Thursday night, with winds reaching 225 km/h.
Even as it weakened, it left a path of devastation stretching more than 800 km inland.
Bridges have been washed away.
North Carolina experienced some of the worst flooding, with Governor Roy Cooper noting that rescuers have had to airlift supplies in certain areas due to damaged or submerged roads.
People wait in line for gasoline in the aftermath of Storm Helene.
Hundreds of roads in the region remain closed, and several bridges have been swept away by floodwaters.
Four major interstate highways were closed in North Carolina and Tennessee, with “multiple” bridges still out of service, according to Kristin White from the US Department of Transportation.
Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina each reported more than 100 road closures, she added.
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