North Carolina.- Body dogs and search crews dug into the mud in the mountains of western North Carolina on Tuesday in search of victims of Hurricane Helene, days after the storm left a trail of destruction across the country. southeast of the country.
As the death toll approaches 160, rescue teams fanned out, using helicopters to cross destroyed bridges and trekking through wilderness areas to reach homes in the most remote areas.
The storm, one of the deadliest in United States history, left some towns without power and cell phone supplies, leaving many people frustrated, heated and increasingly worried after several days of hardship. Some cooked their meals on charcoal grills or walked to high ground in hopes of finding signal to call loved ones. “There were communities that were wiped off the map,” North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said at a press conference Tuesday.
The devastation was particularly severe in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where at least 57 people died in and around Asheville, a tourist haven known for its art galleries, breweries and outdoor activities.
In Swannanoa, a small community outside Asheville, declining water levels exposed vehicles piled on top of each other and mobile homes swept away during the storm. The roads were full of mud and debris and dotted with potholes. Cliff Stewart survived two feet of water entering his home by climbing over the wheels of his wheelchair and letting his medicine bottles float from room to room. Without electricity and depending on the food his friends bring him, he has rejected offers of help to leave his home. “Where am I going?” the Marine Corps veteran said Tuesday. “This is all I have. I don’t want to abandon it, because what am I going to do? Be homeless? I’d rather die right here than be homeless.” Exhausted rescue teams worked tirelessly to clear roads, restore power and telephone supplies and care for those still stranded by the storm, which killed at least 159 people in six states, including many who were hit by the storm. fallen trees or were trapped in flooded vehicles and houses. Nearly half of the deaths occurred in North Carolina, while dozens of deaths were also recorded in South Carolina and Georgia. President Joe Biden, who is scheduled to tour the disaster zone in North and South Carolina on Wednesday, estimated that recovery could cost billions of dollars. “We have to accelerate this recovery process,” he said Tuesday. “People are scared to death. This is urgent.” More than 150,000 households have registered for assistance from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the number is expected to increase rapidly in the coming days, said Frank Matranga, agency representative. Almost 2 million prepared meals and more than a million liters of water have been sent to the most affected areas, he added. Rescuers around Asheville visited the most vulnerable first. “We’ve been going door to door, checking on people and seeing if they’re safe,” said Avril Pinder, administrator of Buncombe County, where Asheville is located. “We know there are places that are still difficult to access.”
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