Powerful Storm Helene Death Toll Rises to at Least 93 in US Southeast

A devastating storm has left a trail of destruction in the southeastern United States, claiming the lives of at least 93 people across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The latest count shows 37 fatalities in North Carolina, 25 in South Carolina, 17 in Georgia, 11 in Florida, two in Tennessee, and one in Virginia.

President Joe Biden and the two candidates vying to replace him, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, announced plans to visit hard-hit areas, some of them in key battleground states, amidst the ongoing disaster. High winds and torrential rain pummeled towns and cities, resulting in widespread destruction, road closures, and power outages.

“We’re hearing of significant infrastructure damage to water systems, communication, roads, critical transportation routes, as well as several homes that have been just destroyed by this,” Deanne Criswell, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said on Sunday.

The affected regions are still reeling from the impact, with conditions expected to improve by Tuesday, according to National Weather Service director Ken Graham. Currently, nearly 2.2 million households are without power, and authorities are working to restore electricity in a complex, multi-day response.

Thousands of people are seeking assistance in shelters run by the American Red Cross, while roads remain closed, and hundreds of bridges have been damaged or washed away. Even in areas where the worst of the flooding has receded, the danger of landslides and collapsing structures remains.

As authorities struggle to reach those in need, the storm response has taken on a political dimension, with presidential and vice-presidential candidates eyeing key battleground states.

Biden has approved federal aid for several states hit by the disaster, while Harris and Trump plan to visit affected areas this week, with Harris stating her intention to “stand with these communities for as long as it takes to make sure that they are able to recover and rebuild.” Trump is scheduled to hold a briefing on the disaster on Monday.

The scope of the devastation is far from over, with experts warning that the full impact may not be known until further assessments are conducted. In the meantime, people in the affected regions can only hope for a speedy and effective recovery.