In a tragic aftermath, at least 200 people have been confirmed dead after Hurricane Helene carved a devastating path across several southeastern US states, officials said on Thursday.
This makes it the second deadliest storm to hit the US mainland in over 50 years.
A comprehensive compilation of official figures by AFP confirms 201 fatalities across North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Virginia.
More than half of the deaths occurred in North Carolina, where floodwaters ravaged communities.
The sheer scale of destruction puts Helene as the deadliest hurricane to strike the US mainland since 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, which claimed 1,392 lives.
Despite extensive rescue operations across six states and a massive response effort—bolstered by over 10,000 federal personnel—officials expect the death toll to rise, with many residents still missing.
The mountainous regions of the southeastern US, known for their isolated pockets, have been particularly hard hit, leaving many areas inaccessible due to landslides and damaged bridges.
In North Carolina’s Buncombe County, the epicenter of the tragedy with over 60 confirmed deaths, officials remain committed to rescue efforts.
“We are continuing to find survivors,” the county reported in an update, while adding that entire communities remain cut off from aid.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp expressed his condolences in a Thursday briefing, confirming that 33 people had died in his state.
“Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the families who are facing this heartbreak and tragedy,” Kemp said.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden spent a second consecutive day visiting affected states. On Thursday, he traveled to Florida, where Helene made landfall as a powerful Category 4 storm last week, battering the state’s northern Gulf shore with winds reaching 140 miles per hour.
Biden conducted an aerial survey of the coastal destruction and later walked through Keaton Beach, where homes and buildings were reduced to ruins. His next stop is neighboring Georgia, another state grappling with the storm’s deadly toll.
With rescue efforts ongoing and the search for survivors continuing, the true scale of Hurricane Helene’s devastation may take days or even weeks to fully understand.
For now, the southeastern US mourns the heavy loss of life as communities begin the long road to recovery.