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Hurricane Helene live updates: 121 dead, including 35 in hard-hit county

Hurricane Helene's inland flooding has been catastrophic.

ByEmily Shapiro, David Brennan, Leah Sarnoff, Julia Reinstein, and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: September 30, 2024, 3:57 PM EDT

The storm surge, wind damage and inland flooding from Hurricane Helene have been catastrophic, flooding neighborhoods, stranding residents and destroying homes in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.

More than 100 people have been killed.

Helene, which made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region Thursday night as a massive Category 4 hurricane, was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the Big Bend on record.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing.
2 hours ago

Sen. Rick Scott calls for Senate to reconvene to pass emergency aid

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is calling upon the Senate to reconvene to approve an emergency aid package for victims of Hurricane Helene.

"While I know from my experience with previous hurricanes that FEMA and [Small Business Administration] damage assessments take time, I am today urging Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to immediately reconvene the U.S. Senate when those assessments are completed so that we can pass the clean supplemental disaster funding bill and other disaster relief legislation, like my Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act, needed to ensure the full recovery of families in all impacted communities," Scott said in a statement Monday.

A drone view shows a damaged area, following the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Asheville, N.C., Sept. 29, 2024.
Marco Bello/Reuters

Any additional funding, beyond the funding approved by President Joe Biden and able to be drawn down from FEMA, would need to be approved by both chambers of Congress.

The Senate let out on Wednesday after approving a stopgap funding bill to keep the government funded through Dec. 20. The Senate is not scheduled to return until Nov. 12. The House is also out of session and would need to return to approve any aid.

-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin

2:29 PM EDT

Helene's death toll climbs to 121

At least 121 people have been killed by Hurricane Helene in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, the Associated Press reported Monday.

The place where the Jet Broadcasting radio station once stood in Erwin, Tenn., Sept. 29, 2024.
Saul Young/The Knoxville News-Sentinel/USA Today Network via Reuters

2:19 PM EDT

How to help

Click here for a list of charities and organizations that are supporting relief efforts, including the Red Cross and Americares.

Storm damaged belongings sit along the road in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on Sept. 30, 2024 in Old Fort, N.C.
Sean Rayford/Getty Images

2:08 PM EDT

Trump visits hard-hit Valdosta, Georgia

Former President Donald Trump visited hard-hit Valdosta in southern Georgia on Monday to distribute supplies and "stand in complete solidarity with … all of those suffering in the terrible aftermath of Hurricane Helene."

"Valdosta has been ravaged," Trump said. "The town is, very, very badly hurting, and many thousands are without power. They're running low on food and fuel. We brought a lot of it down with us."

A view of storm damage at Chez What in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Valdosta, Ga., Sept. 28, 2024.
Sean Rayford/Getty Images

"We’ll continue to help until you're bigger, better, stronger than ever before," Trump said.

The former president held a “moment of silence and prayer" for those killed in the storm.

Twenty-five people in Georgia have died in the storm, Gov. Brian Kemp said.

Trump said he’ll also visit North Carolina as the state works to recover from Helene.