A local resident helps free a car that became stranded in a stretch of flooding road on the outskirts of Boone, North Carolina | Photo credit: Reuters
Hurricane Helene has rocked the United States, leading to the death of at least 116 people and causing power outages in more than two million households across the country.
The storm, which started last Thursday, brought catastrophic flooding, tornado damage, collapsed trees, and closed roads in six states.
According to the BBC, Helene is the most powerful hurricane on record to hit Florida.
At least 42 people have been reported dead in North Carolina, 29 in South Carolina, 25 in Georgia, 15 in Florida, two in Tennessee and one in Virginia.
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Buncombe County in Florida appeared to be the most severely affected area, with at least 30 fatalities reported there.
About 1,000 people have “remained unaccounted for” in the county due to lack of cell phone service and electricity.
Ryan Cole, an emergency official in the county, described the hurricane as “a biblical devastation”.
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“This is the most significant natural disaster that any one of us has ever seen,” Cole added.
As of Monday morning, 500,000 people remained without power in both North Carolina and Georgia as well as 750,000 in South Carolina.
North Carolina and the Big Bend region of Florida experienced devastating flooding, with certain areas completely submerged.
Coastal and island towns, such as Cedar Key and Treasure Island, suffered storm surge flooding exceeding 15 feet above ground level.
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Recovery from the storm is estimated to cost between $95 and $110 billion nationwide.
Officials have, however, warned that more storms could be on the horizon, as the end of hurricane season is not until November 30.
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