At least 121 people across six states are dead as a result of the devastation brought by Hurricane Helene.
According to combined media reports, the fatalities occurred Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.
As of 2:00 p.m. EDT, millions of people are still without power as the storm brought down utility lines and destroyed residences, businesses and infrastructure. Utility crews from across the nation have arrived in the impacted states to restore power.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said many people in his state are “desperate for help” because of impassible roads and a lack of power and communications.
“Please know that we are sending resources and coordinating closely with local governments, first responders, state and federal partners, and volunteer organizations to help those impacted by this tragic storm,” Cooper said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said power had been restored for 2.32 million customers in his state while 87,000 were waiting for restoration. He also urged that federal aid focus on North Carolina.
“Florida, we have it handled,” DeSantis said. “We have what we need … Most of the effort should be in western North Carolina right now because you still have active rescues that need to take place.”
At the White House, President Biden said he was “committed to traveling to the impacted areas as soon as possible, but I’ve been told it would be disruptive if I did it right now. We will not do that at the risk of diverting or delaying any of the response assets needed to deal with this crisis.”
Vice President Kamala Harris cut short her West Coast campaigning for the presidency and returned to Washington for briefings on the recovery efforts. As with Biden, her office said she would visit the impacted area once her presence would not be disruptive to recovery efforts.
Harris’ rival for the White House, former President Trump, traveled to Valdosta, Georgia, for an in-person briefing on Helene’s impact and to help in distributing relief supplies.
Photo: Florida Fish & Wildlife / Flickr Creative Commons
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