Aftermath of Hurricane Helene Paints Devastating Picture

It has been over a week since Hurricane Helene roared across Florida and the interior portions of the Southeast. Several days later and the death toll continues to climb. Read on for the latest details of this devastating storm.

Over 200 People Confirmed Dead Due to Helene

The death toll blamed on Hurricane Helene now stands at at least 213. Rescuers looking for those still missing are growing more desperate as they comb through the rubble created by the massive floodwaters. There are still hundreds of people still unaccounted for in the aftermath of the former Category 4 storm.

Limited cell phone service, power outages, and washed away bridges and roads are hindering the search and rescue efforts as well as the rebuilding process. The hardest hit North Carolina Buncombe County region is reporting that over 200 of its residents are currently missing as of Thursday. The county that is home to Asheville has 72 confirmed fatalities thus far.

Helene now has the unwanted distinction of being the deadliest hurricane to strike the U.S. since Hurricane Katrina in September of 2005. North Carolina has reported the highest number of deaths, now sitting at 106. South Carolina has confirmed 41 deaths while authorities in Georgia are reporting at least 33 lives lost. Florida, the location of Helene's landfall, confirmed 11 fatalities. The state of Tennessee experienced 11 deaths while two were reported in Virginia.