Hurricane Helene updates: Death toll surpasses 230 as rescue efforts continue

The death toll from Hurricane Helene has reached at least 227, according to The Associated Press.

Helene has become the deadliest mainland hurricane since Katrina in 2005.

The White House is calling out misinformation it says is circulating in the wake of Hurricane Helene, in a new memo on Saturday.

"A number of scam artists, bad-faith actors, and others who want to sow chaos because they think it helps their political interests are promoting disinformation about the recovery effort, including ways to access critical and live-saving resources. This is wrong, dangerous, and it must stop immediately," the memo read.

The White House has deployed a "robust, intensive, and whole-of-government" response to the storm and looked to counter some of the misinformation, White House Communications Director Ben LaBolt and Director of Digital Strategy Christian Tom wrote in the memo.

The officials warned that false information could "discourage people from seeking critical assistance" and they want to encourage impacted Americans to seek FEMA assistance.

One of the falsehoods they took issue with is one that former President Donald Trump repeated on the campaign trail Friday night. Trump claimed that disaster funds were being used on immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally rather than Americans impacted by disasters.

"No money is being diverted from disaster response needs. None. FEMA’s disaster response efforts and individual assistance is funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, which is a dedicated fund for disaster efforts," the memo said in response to those claims.

More than one week after Helene hit, search and rescue efforts are still underway in North Carolina, with 92 teams deployed, Gov. Roy Cooper said Saturday.

"We’re still trying to find people in the hardest-hit areas, but the good news is that many are now able to communicate with loved ones and confirm their safety," Cooper said.

"We knew storms could cause damage, but we weren’t expecting the magnitude of this one -- water raging in rivers all over in a way we’ve never seen before," Cooper said.

More than 755 FEMA personnel and over 1,500 North Carolina National Guardsmen are on the ground in western North Carolina, according to the state’s Department of Public Safety. More than 1,100 responders from 34 states are also helping, state officials said.

-ABC News’ Jason Volack

The Department of Transportation announced the immediate availability of $100 million in emergency relief funds for North Carolina in the wake of Helene, which devastated roads and bridges in the western part of the state.

"We are providing this initial round of funding so there’s no delay getting roads repaired and reopened, and re-establishing critical routes," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.

"Further support will follow," Buttigieg tweeted.