Topline
Nearly a hundred people have died across six states as a result of the widespread destruction and catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, while authorities have warned that the number is likely to rise as race to carry out rescue and recovery efforts.
Heavy rains from Hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage in Asheville, North Carolina.
Key Facts
According to the Associated Press, the overall death toll as of Sunday night stood at 91, while hundreds remained unaccounted for.
At least 30 deaths were reported in North Carolina’s Buncombe County, where the mountain city of Asheville became isolated after facing historic flooding.
In a press conference on Sunday, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said the state is facing an “unprecedented tragedy” adding that many people are cut off” because floods and landslide have made certain roads “impassable.”
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Big Number
More than 2 million. That is the total number of homes and businesses that remained without power early on Monday in the aftermath of Helene, according to Poweroutage.us. South Carolina is the worst hit with more than 755,000 customers without power, followed by Georgia with more than 580,000 outages and North Carolina with around 458,000 outages. Over 133,000 homes and businesses remained impacted in Florida while another 100,000 faced blackouts in Virginia.
