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.
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.
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.
11:30 AM EDT
Biden plans to visit storm zone Wednesday or Thursday
President Joe Biden said Monday that Helene is "not just a catastrophic storm -- it's a historic, history-making storm."
A drone view shows a damaged area, following the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Asheville, N.C., Sept. 29, 2024.
Marco Bello/Reuters
Biden said he will travel to the impact zone as soon as possible, ideally Wednesday or Thursday. He said he’s been told it’d be disruptive to visit immediately, and he does not want to interfere with these areas accessing the relief they desperately need.
Maddie Hackney, left, and her friend Janie Fowler, who both lost everything to the hurricane, look for clothing at a donation center organized by Janalea and Garrett England, at their business Steinhatchee Fish Company in the wake of Hurricane Helene in Steinhatchee, Fla., Sept. 29, 2024.
Kathleen Flynn/Reuters
"Communities are devastated. Loved ones waiting, not sure if their loved ones are OK, and they can't contact them because there’s no cellphone connections. Many more folks displaced have no idea when they’ll be able to be return to their home, if ever, if there’s a home to return to," he said.
"There's nothing like wondering, 'Is my husband, wife, son, daughter, mother, father, alive?' And many more who remain without electricity, water, food and communications," he said.
Rex Liberman moves his refrigerator outside before emptying it as he cleans out his house after it was flooded by Hurricane Helene in Steinhatchee, Fla., Sept. 29, 2024.
Kathleen Flynn/Reuters
Biden said he’s directed his team "to provide every available resource as fast as possible."
Biden vowed, "We're not leaving until the job is done."
10:44 AM EDT
Helene 'spared no one' in Georgia, governor says
Hurricane Helene "literally spared no one" in Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp said Monday.
Twenty-five people in Georgia have died in the storm, Kemp said. The victims include: a 27-year-old mother and her 1-month-old twin boys, who died when a tree fell on their home; Leon Davis, an assistant fire chief from Blackshear, who died when a tree fell on his car while he was responding to a call; and a 7-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl who died when a tree fell on their burning house, he said.
An aerial picture shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Valdosta, Ga., Sept. 28, 2024.
John Falchetto/AFP via Getty Images
More than 500,000 customers in Georgia remain without power after Helene damaged over 5,000 poles, the governor said. Kemp said Georgia Power officials are calling Helene the most devastating storm they’ve faced.
Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit hard-hit Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday.
11:18 AM EDT
35 dead, hundreds unaccounted for in hard-hit Buncombe County, North Carolina
Thirty-five people are dead and 600 people remain unaccounted for in hard-hit Buncombe County, North Carolina, which encompasses Asheville, according to county officials.
Flooding caused by the storm that started as Hurricane Helene covering streets in Asheville, N.C., Sept. 2024.
Billy Bowling/EPA via Shutterstock
Heavy rains from hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage in Asheville, NC, Sept. 28, 2024.
Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images
County officials said people will go door-to-door to check on those who have been reported missing.
Shelters are at capacity, officials said.
The city of Asheville has partnered with Verizon to establish a temporary cellphone tower, officials said. County officials said they’ll start distributing water Monday afternoon.
