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

Hundreds of thousands of customers in the South are still without power, more than one week after Hurricane Helene made landfall.

More than 174,000 customers are in the dark in South Carolina and 179,000 are without power in North Carolina. Another 151,000 are without power in Georgia.

"This has been a historic storm. We've never seen anything like this," Duke Energy spokesperson Bill Norton said this week. "The biggest challenge has been the unprecedented flooding. It’s not just poles and wires that are down -- it's the backbone of our system, the transmission infrastructure and substations."

Around 400 nurses and 40 doctors from states around the country have arrived at Mission Health, a hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, to provide support in the aftermath of Helene, hospital officials said Friday.

"This is a difficult time and we are doing all we can to bring help and relief to those in need," HCA Healthcare, which runs the hospital, said in a statement.

-ABC News' Youri Benadjaoud

Asheville Assistant City Manager Ben Woody stressed the importance of the North Fork Water Treatment Plant, which supplies 80% of Asheville's water.

"Restoring service after the storm depends on this system," Woody said.

He detailed storm damage, including the washout of two major waterlines -- a 36-inch and a 24-inch -- mirroring a 2004 disaster.

The city’s top repair priority is a 36-inch bypass line installed after that event, he said.

"If we get this bypass online, we can restore 80% of the system," Woody said, noting progress as of October 3.

Woody also confirmed the Mills River Water Treatment Plant, serving South Asheville, Buncombe and parts of Henderson County, is fully operational, producing five million gallons per day—about 20% of the system’s needs.

"There’s still a long way to go," he added.

-ABC News' Jason Volack

Asheville Police Department Deputy Chief Sean Aardema provided a comprehensive update Friday afternoon on recent efforts by law enforcement and rescue teams.

He reported that out of approximately 350 missing persons reported, 270 individuals have been located and reunited with their families. The department is actively working on 75 missing persons cases.

"The good news is that in the last 72 hours, we’ve rescued three individuals, two of whom were trapped in debris in the Swannanoa River Road area," Aardema added. "These people are alive today thanks to the rapid response of search and rescue teams."

The use of rapid DNA testing, including equipment donated by the private sector, has played a critical role in identifying missing individuals, he added.

-ABC News' Jason Volack