Heartache swept across the southeastern United States as residents grappled with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene this past weekend. One of the most powerful and costly storms in modern U.S. history, Helene has left a trail of destruction with damage estimates ranging from $95 billion to $110 billion, according to AccuWeather's chief meteorologist.
The storm claimed dozens of lives, and authorities fear more bodies may still be discovered across several states. In Horseshoe Beach, a small coastal town in Florida, Charlene Huggins was devastated by the loss of her family home, which housed five generations. \"Five generations lived in this house, from my grandmother, my father, myself, my daughter, son and my granddaughter. We were raised in this house. So it's, there's a lot of memories here. It's just, it just, it breaks your heart. It just devastates you,\" she shared.
As of Saturday afternoon, at least 3 million people remained without power across five states, with restoration efforts expected to take several days. Helene was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone late Friday, but its remnants continue to unleash heavy rains, causing massive flooding and threatening dam failures in areas like western North Carolina. George Carter recounted the chaos during the hurricane: \"Power went out. Cell phone went out … So, there's no way to talk to anyone. Some of the neighbors came and knocked on doors and we sort of communicated with each other, in the pouring rain. I walked across the street to go check on a house that is a friend of mine's, and the water was at least ten feet up from where it should be.\"
U.S. President Joe Biden described the devastation as \"overwhelming\" and has directed emergency officials to accelerate support for storm survivors, including deploying additional search and rescue teams to North Carolina.
In the midst of the chaos, communities like Mill Spring are showcasing resilience and solidarity. Adam Jackson emphasized the importance of community support: \"There's probably 50 trees blocking my neighbors from coming out. I started helping them yesterday, the neighbors at the other end of the road. We got us out, but the other neighbors are trapped. Our little area and community … We're not stepping over each other. We're not jumping lines to buy the last candy bar. That's the way the world needs, we need community back.\"
Reference(s):
Southeast U.S. faces costly cleanup as death toll from Helene rises
cgtn.com
