ASHEVILLE, N.C. \u2013 The death toll from Hurricane Helene has surged to over 160 as emergency crews from across the U.S. assist regions hit hardest by the storm, including parts of western North Carolina. States like Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee have also seen significant devastation from the catastrophic flooding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Helene, the second deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. in 55 years, made landfall as a Category 4 storm in Florida’s Big Bend area, with winds reaching 140 mph. Since then, the storm has claimed lives, destroyed homes, and disrupted essential infrastructure across six states. President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Asheville, North Carolina, on Wednesday to assess the damage firsthand, with plans to tour impacted areas in Florida and Georgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In North Carolina, officials are grappling with the ongoing threat of landslides in the mountainous regions, making rescue and recovery efforts even more dangerous. Governor Roy Cooper has activated hundreds of National Guard troops. At the same time, search and rescue teams from as far away as Colorado and New Hampshire have been deployed to assist with the response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Approximately 1.5 million homes and businesses remain without power, and many communities are still cut off due to washed-out roads and downed communication lines. In areas like Chimney Rock and Biltmore Village, devastating floodwaters have swept away homes and infrastructure, leaving families stranded and desperate for aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, in Tennessee, at least nine people have been confirmed dead, and rescue efforts continue in flood-ravaged towns like Erwin. Other states, including Georgia, also face extensive cleanup operations, with widespread power outages and significant damage reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Federal resources, including over 800 FEMA personnel, have been mobilized to aid recovery. As the region begins rebuilding, tensions are rising due to food, water, and fuel shortages, with long lines forming at gas stations and distribution centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The full extent of Helene\u2019s devastation continues to unfold as officials work to reach isolated communities and restore essential services.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ASHEVILLE, N.C. \u2013 The death toll from Hurricane Helene has surged to over 160 as emergency crews from across the U.S. assist regions hit hardest by the storm, including parts of western North Carolina. States like Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee have also seen significant devastation from the catastrophic flooding. Helene, the second […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":985,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-foreign-policy","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n