Hurricane Helene wreaks havoc in southeastern US, death toll rises By Reuters

(Reuters) – Southeast U.S. states began a massive cleanup and recovery effort on Sunday after Hurricane Helene’s winds, rain and storm surge knocked out power, destroyed roads and bridges and caused catastrophic flooding in Florida to Virginia.

The storm caused at least 60 deaths, according to states and officials in South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. Officials feared more bodies would be discovered in several states.

Damage estimates ranged from $15 billion to more than $100 billion, insurers and forecasters said over the weekend. Property damage and loss of economic output will become clearer as officials assess the destruction.

Days of heavy rain followed Helene’s landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast Thursday evening. More than 3 million customers experienced power outages over the weekend after unprecedented storm surges, ferocious winds and dangerous conditions stretched hundreds of miles inland.

Some of the heaviest rain hit western North Carolina, with nearly 30 inches (76 cm) falling on Mount Mitchell in Yancey County, the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center reported.

State transportation officials said more than 400 roads remained closed in the state, where the governor reported two deaths Saturday.

Waters (NYSE: ) washed over the Lake Lure dam in Rutherford County, and people in and around Chimney Rock described the village center as being washed away. Images showing inches of mud and sediment, uprooted trees and broken telephone poles and buildings reduced to rubble.

Just to the south in eastern Tennessee, officials in Greene County worried the Nolichucky Dam was on the verge of failure, but the Tennessee Valley Authority reported late Saturday that the dam was stable and safe.

“The devastation we are witnessing in the wake of Hurricane Helene has been overwhelming,” President Joe Biden said Saturday. “Jill and I continue to pray for everyone who has lost loved ones and everyone affected by this storm.”

South Carolina had the highest number of deaths, with local authorities counting 24 deaths in Helene so far, with falling trees contributing to many of them.

Seventeen people, including children, died in Georgia from Helene, Gov. Brian Kemp said after viewing the damage in Valdosta.

A total of 11 people died in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday, speaking in Perry on Florida’s Gulf Coast, which saw storm surges of 15 feet, higher than those seen in hurricanes in recent years.

On the Steinhatchee coast, a storm surge — a wall of seawater pushed ashore by winds — of eight to 10 feet (2.4-3 meters) moved mobile homes, the weather service said.

The small nearby community of Spring Warrior Fish Camp was surveying the damage Saturday and still waiting for any emergency help or first responders.

“He’s not thinking about us here,” said David Hall, as he and his wife dug through sea grass and dead fish in the office of the hotel they owned. Many of the houses there are built on stilts due to a local ordinance and have survived severe damage.