The Southeast region is reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the most powerful hurricane on record to hit Florida's Big Bend area, which caused a trail of destruction across multiple states. The death toll has risen to at least 95, with millions left without power and numerous families stranded in floodwaters.

In North Carolina, relentless flooding has transformed roads into rivers, depriving many of essentials, and stretching state resources to their limits. Here are the latest developments:

Death Toll and Missing Persons

• Fatalities have been reported in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, with the highest numbers in North Carolina (36) and South Carolina (25, including two firefighters).
• In Georgia, at least 17 people have died, including a family and young children.
• Over 600 missing persons reports have been filed in Buncombe County, North Carolina, alone.

Communications and Infrastructure Challenges

• Communication outages have made it difficult to assess the full scale of the disaster, but officials are optimistic about reuniting families once connectivity is restored.
• Hundreds of roads have been closed in the Carolinas, impeding the delivery of water supplies to affected communities.

Power Outages

• Approximately 2.1 million power customers across the Southeast remain without power, with South Carolina and North Carolina being the most affected.

Federal Response

• President Joe Biden is set to visit the disaster-stricken areas and has been briefed on recovery efforts.
• The federal government has declared a public health emergency in North Carolina, following similar declarations for Florida and Georgia.

Damage and Recovery Efforts

• Georgia and Florida have witnessed "complete obliteration" along the coast, with countless residents displaced and areas still without power.
• The storm has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone but continues to bring rain, potentially leading to excessive runoff.

Personal Accounts from the Impacted Areas

• Residents have shared harrowing stories of landslides, floods, and the struggle to obtain basic necessities like water and food.
• The resilience of the community is evident as people work together to provide support and shelter to those in need.

As the region begins the long road to recovery, the full extent of the damage is still being assessed, and the nation stands in solidarity with those affected by Hurricane Helene.