Millions still without power, many areas cut off from supplies by washed-away infrastructure.
UPDATE Oct 3rd,10:10 AM EDT
As recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene continue, President Biden directed the Defense Department to send 1,000 active-duty military personnel to assist the 6,000 National Guard members and 4,800 federal aid workers currently working to provide relief and deliver food, water, and other essential supplies. Over 190 people are reported dead and hundreds missing across six states one week after the hurricane made landfall. Just under a million are still without electricity. Thousands are isolated in remote areas where roads and bridges were washed out or they have no fuel.
Parts of western North Carolina received 30 inches of rain, which caused massive flooding and mudslides that washed away homes and communities. Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer said early this week, “We are seeing just piles of people’s houses that were destroyed. Buildings that were destroyed. Cars overturned. The power lines look like spaghetti. It’s hard to describe the chaos that it looks like. It really feels like a post-apocalyptic scene.”
Representative Virginia Foxx of North Carolina said, “I’ve been working day and night trying to help constituents solve the problems that they’re facing. It is really hard to understand the devastation that’s occurred here, unless one drives around and sees it, which I have done. The amount of rain that came down, and what it did to rivers and streams and little creeks, is just hard truly to imagine, but I have seen it firsthand.”
“Communications has been the biggest challenge. Lack of power. Electricity is another major, major challenge,” the congresswoman continued. “A few people have gotten power back, but not many. I have 11 counties in my district. I have five in particular that have been severely impacted, with roads closed, no communications, deaths, and we don’t even know the extent of that yet. So it’s been a pretty tough situation here.”
President Biden visited the Carolinas on Wednesday. “I don’t have to tell this group that Hurricane Helene has been a storm of historic proportions,” President Biden told emergency managers in North Carolina. “The damage is still being assessed, but many people are still unaccounted for. So, I’m here to say, the United States – the nation – has your back.”
Law enforcement has reported minor looting as residents become desperate without food, water, gas, or means of communication.
A temporary water advisory was issued by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, cautioning people to stay away from bodies of water. Officials stated, “In the aftermath of unprecedented flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, several wastewater treatment plants have been compromised and are temporarily unable to completely treat effluent before it enters receiving waters. In addition, sewer line crossings may have been severed or damaged, allowing raw sewage to enter streams, and individual septic systems may be compromised across the region.”
Hurricane Helene is currently the second-deadliest storm to hit the U.S. on record, behind Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
UPDATE Oct 1st,11:30 AM EDT
Five days after Hurricane Helene made landfall, over a million customers are still without power in the Southeastern states. Federal agencies, aid groups, and volunteers are delivering supplies by truck, air, and even mule to areas that are difficult to reach due to roads being washed out. Some have had to use chainsaws to clear a path through debris for supply deliveries.
Currently, 139 have been reported dead across six states, most having drowned due to the flood waters though some were struck by falling trees or structures. Search crews continue to work on rescue efforts. Massive flooding caused a mudslide that collapsed a 4-mile section of Interstate 40 along Tennessee and North Carolina into the Pigeon River. Many mountain towns experienced flooding and mudslides during the torrential rain. Some areas also experienced tornadoes.
Several regions have flood-damaged infrastructure. Federal Emergency Management Agency officials reported on Monday that more than 1,000 are being housed in shelters.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said the storm “literally spared no one.“
UPDATE Sept 30th, 9:00 AM EDT
The path of Hurricane Helene has caused even more elevated locations near eastern mountain ranges to experience flooding. After making landfall in Florida, the 350-mile-wide hurricane hit Georgia, then winds slowed to tropical storm strength as it approached South Carolina. The storm proceeded through Tennessee, North Carolina, and other states, causing power outages as far north as West Virginia and Ohio.
The storm’s 800-mile path also caused record flooding, which has reportedly claimed the lives of at least 100 as of Monday. The National Weather Service in South Carolina stated the flooding and wind damage are “the worst event in our office’s history.”
Certain areas of North Carolina received almost 30 inches of rain and more than 400 roads are closed in the state. The North Carolina National Guard has been activated to aid in rescue and recovery efforts. Governor Roy Cooper stated, “ This is an unprecedented tragedy that requires an unprecedented response.”
“Our National Guard air assets have identified people on the ground, and utilized social media and emergency calls to locate, identify, and evacuate citizens in Western North Carolina,” the North Carolina National Guard stated. “Our air assets have moved more than 34,000 pounds of cargo, including food, water, and medical supplies to distribute. In the past 48 hours, we have been augmented by personnel and air assets from Connecticut, Maryland, Ohio, Iowa, Florida, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania.”
Public health emergencies have been declared in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina after emergency declarations from President Joe Biden. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will have more flexibility in covering health needs under the declarations.
Health Secretary Xavier Becerra said, “We will do all we can to help North Carolina officials respond to the health impacts of Hurricane Helene. We are working closely with state and local health authorities, as well as with our partners across the federal government, and stand ready to provide additional public health and medical support.”
President Biden will deliver remarks on the progress of relief efforts on Monday. Vice President Harris canceled campaign events to receive briefings in Washington from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The president told FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell he will visit affected areas “as soon as it will not disrupt emergency response operations.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For first responders, U.S. Coast Guard and National Guard personnel as they seek to rescue and assist in relief efforts.
- For administration officials as they assess the devastation and provide federal assistance to the devastated areas.
- For state and local leads as they work to coordinate recovery from the flooding and wind damage.
- For God’s comfort and strength to be with those who lost loved ones and homes, who are endeavoring to recover from the historic storm.
Sources: USA Today, Fox News, NY Times, VOA News, AP News, NY Post, CBN News,
