At least 52 people have died across five US states – South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia – as of Saturday (Sep 28), after Hurricane Helene made landfall late Thursday as a Category 4 behemoth, breaking records as the storm worsened.
The death toll continues to rise as one of the most powerful hurricanes hit the country.
The officials feared that more bodies would be discovered across several states.
The hurricane continued to produce heavy rains across several states, sparking life-threatening floods.
Millions of homes and businesses have reportedly remained out of power across Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. It has further prompted that power outages could drag on for weeks.
More than 50 people were rescued from the roof of a hospital in Unicoi County, Tennessee, about 120 miles (200 km) northeast of Knoxville, according to state officials.
Several highways across multiple US states have been closed due to the mudslides. Meanwhile, rainwater also swept over roofs and snapped phone lines, while some houses have vanished from the ground.
Watch | US: Tropical Storm Helene Causes Massive Destruction in Florida
The mayor of hard-hit Canton, North Carolina, called the scene “apocalyptic”.
“I’m sure that number will go up as we have people we know who are trapped, and we’re trying to get to right now,” Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said.
President Biden’s response
United States President Joe Biden has approved emergency declaration requests from the governors of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama.
The White House stressed that about 1,500 federal disaster response personnel will be deployed.
(With inputs from agencies)
