More than a thousand people are still unaccounted for in a North Carolina county devastated by Hurricane Helene.
Officials in Buncombe County reported the figure during an emergency meeting that was livestreamed on Sunday.
A special website has been set up to help find those who are still unaccounted for, with over 1,000 reports and growing, an official said during the meeting.
Conditions have made it virtually impossible to reach stranded residents. Supplies are being airlifted to as workers scramble to clear roads and restore power and communication.
It’s hoped that many of those who are unaccounted for will turn up safe, but the state has already confirmed 36 deaths.
“We know there will be more,” said Governor Roy Cooper on Sunday.
On Sunday, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s request for a Federal Major Disaster Declaration was granted by the President, allowing FEMA to provide aid to the state.
"Do you have any words to the victims of the hurricane?"
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 30, 2024
BIDEN: "We've given everything that we have."
"Are there any more resources the federal government could be giving them?"
BIDEN: "No." pic.twitter.com/jDMNGhpjOz
The scale of the devastation across the southeastern US is enormous. As of Sunday afternoon, 2.4 million people were without power. Nearly 100 people have been reported dead and thousands have been displaced or rescued from the floodwaters, across five states—Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
The Category 4 hurricane made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida on Thursday night, with winds reaching over 140 mph. Florida governor Ron DeSantis spoke of “complete obliteration” in the parts of his state the hurricane passed through. It’s reported that 90% of communities like Keaton Beach, which was still struggling to recover from last year’s Hurricane Idalia, have been washed away by flooding.
The Carolinas have borne the brunt of the hurricane’s fury. In North Carolina, Yancey County saw 29.5 inches of rainfall. In Buncombe Count, more than 1,000 people still remain unaccounted for. 24 people have already been confirmed dead in South Carolina, the highest total of any state so far.
Accuweather is estimating the damage caused by the hurricane to be upwards of $110 billion, making it one of the most expensive in US history. For comparison, Hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Harvey (2017) each caused around $125 billion of damages.
President Biden has said that no more federal aid will be provided to victims of the Hurricane.
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