ASHEVILLE, OCT 4 – More than 210 people have now been confirmed dead after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across several US states, officials said yesterday, making it the second worst storm to hit the US mainland in more than half a century.
US President Joe Biden made a two-day visit to the southeast of the country to mourn with the people of the region traumatized by the disaster that has claimed the lives of millions.
The storm has flooded cities and towns, left many roads impassable, cut off electricity and water services and left communities in shock as they struggle to begin a recovery effort that is expected to take years.
A compilation of official figures by AFP confirmed 212 deaths across North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia.
More than half of the deaths occurred in North Carolina, which was hit by severe flooding and experienced an unprecedented disaster that some described as a catastrophic post-catastrophe.
“I see you, I hear you, I grieve for you and I promise we will always support you,” Biden said during a stop at a damaged pecan farm in Ray City, Georgia.
Helene was the strongest hurricane to hit the US mainland since Katrina in 2005, which killed 1,392 people.
Despite hundreds of rescue efforts in six states and a massive response that included thousands of federal personnel and thousands more active National Guard and military personnel assisting local responders, the death toll is expected to rise. – AFP
