More than 120 dead across southeastern US in aftermath of Hurricane Helene

At least 121 people have been killed across a wide swath of the southeastern US after torrential rains and flooding brought by Hurricane Helene downed power and communication lines, blocked roads, and caused supply shortages. Officials said the death toll could rise into the hundreds, given that 600 are currently unaccounted for as rescuers work to bring basic supplies to isolated areas devastated by the hurricane.

Desperate residents isolated by washed-out roads and the lack of power and cellular service in western North Carolina lined up Monday for fresh water and a chance to message loved ones that they were alive, days after Hurricane Helene tore through the southeastern U.S. and killed more than 100 people.

Government officials and aid groups were working to bring basic supplies by airlift, truck and mule to the hard-hit tourism hub of Asheville and its surrounding mountain towns.

At least 121 deaths in six states have been attributed to the storm — a toll that climbed Monday as a clearer picture emerged of the devastation it inflicted on an area stretching from Florida’s Gulf Coast northward to the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia. The North Carolina county that includes Asheville reported at least 35 deaths, while dozens were also killed in Georgia and South Carolina.

Many main routes into Asheville were washed away or blocked by mudslides, including Interstate 40, and the city's water system was severely damaged, forcing residents to scoop creek water into buckets so they could flush toilets.

(AP)

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