Highlights
- Hurricane Helene’s death toll reaches 166, with hundreds still missing.
- Over 1 million people remain without power across southeastern states.
- Severe water shortages in Asheville, NC, and Augusta, GA.
- President Joe Biden to visit North and South Carolina to survey storm damage.
- FEMA delivers emergency supplies while Congress debates additional disaster relief funding.
At least 166 people have tragically lost their lives due to Hurricane Helene, and hundreds more remain missing as recovery efforts continue in the southeastern U.S.
The deadly storm has also left over a million people without power, with widespread outages reported in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit the affected areas in the Carolinas today to assess the damage, while Vice President Kamala Harris heads to Georgia for a similar mission.
Also Read: Hurricane Helene Death Toll in US Climbs to 200 as Biden and Harris Visit Affected States
Power Outages and Water Shortages Impacting Millions
As of this morning, nearly 1.3 million people remain without electricity, with Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina experiencing the largest outages. Many areas are also struggling with water shortages.
In Asheville, North Carolina, about 100,000 people are without running water, forcing residents to boil water and rely on nearby creeks for essential needs.
In Augusta, Georgia, people have been without running water for three days and are under a boil water advisory.
Rescue Efforts Ongoing Amid Missing Persons Reports
The situation remains dire as search-and-rescue teams work tirelessly to locate missing individuals.
Buncombe County in North Carolina, where Asheville is located, has reported hundreds of missing persons. In Tennessee, 85 people are still unaccounted for, as per recent reports.
Federal Response and Relief Efforts
In response to the devastation, FEMA has been actively providing aid, delivering cargo planes filled with emergency supplies, food, and water to the most affected regions.
Although Congress is on recess, President Biden and several lawmakers, including Florida’s Rick Scott, have indicated that additional disaster relief funding may be necessary.
FEMA currently has $20 billion in disaster relief funds, with $6 billion already allocated for previous disasters like the Vermont floods and Hawaii wildfires.
While the House Speaker, Mike Johnson, believes existing resources are sufficient for now, the scale of the damage caused by Hurricane Helene may require further federal action.
