Hurricane Helene updates: Death toll surpasses 230 as rescue efforts continue
Helene unleashed devastation across the Southeast.
More than 230 people have been killed from Hurricane Helene, which unleashed devastation across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.
Helene, which made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a massive Category 4 hurricane, has become the deadliest mainland hurricane since Katrina in 2005.
Latest headlines:
- 'Your nation has your back,' Joe and Jill Biden tell those in Helene's deadly path
- White House counters 'disinformation' in the wake of Hurricane Helene
- Search and rescue efforts still underway in North Carolina
- DOT announces $100M in emergency relief funds for North Carolina
- Hundreds of thousands still without power
Over 40K have applied for disaster assistance in North Carolina: White House
Over 40,000 people in North Carolina have applied for disaster assistance, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has paid out more than $6.2 million to survivors in the state, according to the White House.
Senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said President Joe Biden has asked FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to stay in North Carolina "until the situation has stabilized."
"With her are over 1,200 FEMA and other federal personnel, with more resources and staff arriving daily," he said in a post on X. "Search and rescue teams have rescued or supported 2,120 people. Roughly 7,900 crews from across the country and Canada are working on power restoration. The NC National Guard has delivered more than 100,000 lbs of food and over 38,000 lbs of water to Asheville."
-ABC News’ Justin Ryan Gomez
Death toll rises to 72 in Asheville area
At least 72 people have died in hard-hit Buncombe County, North Carolina, which encompasses Asheville, Sheriff Quentin Miller said Thursday.
Over 200 others are missing, the sheriff said.
To the residents of Buncombe County, the sheriff said, "You are the heart of everything we do. We know these are hard times. But please know we're coming to get you."
North Carolina's infrastructure suffered 'complete devastation'
Hurricane Helene has caused "complete devastation" to North Carolina's roads, bridges and water systems, Gov. Roy Cooper said on Thursday.
"Our focus right now is on restoring primary arteries for supplies, medical aid and utility crews," Cooper said, noting that billions of dollars will be required to fully rebuild the region’s infrastructure.
"We need to rebuild in a more resilient way, understanding that this kind of destruction is now a real possibility,” he said.
Over 1,000 National Guard troops and 32 aircraft are delivering supplies daily, Cooper said, and the government has "surged hundreds of thousands of pounds of food and water" to impacted communities.
Search and rescue are still ongoing, Cooper added.
The governor stressed that recovery will be a long-term process.
"We know people will need assistance for a while, especially with power and water systems down," he said.
-ABC News’ Jason Volack
Biden surveys damage in Florida with GOP Sen. Rick Scott
President Joe Biden continued to survey damage caused by Hurricane Helene on Thursday, taking part in an aerial tour over impacted communities in Florida and meeting with families whose homes were destroyed.
It was a bipartisan show of support, as vocal Biden critic Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., joined the president in Keaton Beach to see the devastation on the ground and provide an update on response efforts.
After his briefing, Biden met with a husband and wife who lost their home in the storm, and they thanked the president for visiting. The president then met with local officials and first responders.
Biden made no remarks to the press pool.
-ABC News’ Justin Ryan Gomez