Throughout Sunday, a more comprehensive picture of the storm’s damage—which appeared to be most severe in Buncombe County—became apparent after it tore through Florida and Georgia.
According to Ryan Cole, an emergency officer in the county that includes the mountain city of Asheville, “we have biblical devastation.” “This is the most significant natural disaster that any one of us has ever seen.”
According to the news, at least 105 people have perished nationwide since the hurricane made landfall in Florida on Thursday, and that number is anticipated to grow as officials.
After making landfall in Florida’s Big Bend as the strongest storm ever recorded, Helene made her way north into Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee. Where Hurricane Helene made landfall as a tropical storm was North and South Carolina, where the majority of verified deaths occurred.
Authorities in North Carolina said on Sunday night that Buncombe County alone had seen 30 deaths. Workers are dealing with downed trees, hundreds of closed roads, and disruptions to mobile and electricity services throughout the whole state.
On Sunday, some locals came home to discover their houses completely demolished. And with almost 1,000 individuals in Buncombe County still missing, family members are attempting to find loved ones using sporadic mobile service.