In North Carolina, Remnants of Helene Become an ‘Unprecedented Tragedy’
The New York Times
Thousands of people struggled to cope without basic necessities as authorities searched for the missing, and the overall death toll from the storm surpassed 90.
Raging floods and mudslides unleashed by the remnants of Hurricane Helene have dealt an “unprecedented tragedy” in the mountains of western North Carolina, leaving at least 37 people dead in the region and communities struggling to cope without water, food, power, gasoline and cellphone service.
Hundreds of miles from where it made landfall as a powerful hurricane, Helene has continued to wreak havoc across several states, with an overall death toll reaching more than 90 on Sunday. That total is expected to rise as rescue workers reach stranded communities.
Some of the worst devastation was in the towns and cities nestled between the forested mountains of western North Carolina, with roads, power lines and water treatment facilities heavily damaged throughout the region.
Local and federal officials along with the National Guard raced to deliver supplies to paralyzed areas, and repair and restore what they could, while dozens of other teams searched for people who fell victim to the raging floodwaters or were still looking to escape.
“This is an unprecedented tragedy that requires an unprecedented response,” Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina said at a news briefing on Sunday afternoon.
