Hurricane Helene claimed 200 lives by Thursday after Georgia and North Carolina reported additional fatalities.
The death toll rose from 189 to 200, with Georgia adding eight deaths and North Carolina adding three to their totals.
Rescue operations continued in western North Carolina, which suffered the worst of the storm’s impact. Communities and authorities are also working together to recover from the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene.Fatalities have been reported across several states.
Power is also gradually being restored in several areas. The majority of outages remain in the Carolinas and Georgia, where Helene struck after hitting Florida‘s Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane.
Vice president Kamala Harris announced federal support for Georgia, stating that the government will cover emergency aid costs for three months. President Biden and Harris also visited the affected areas to assess the damage.
Biden pledged federal support for debris removal and emergency measures for six months, saying, “We’re not leaving until you’re back on your feet completely.”
In Tennessee, floodwaters led to the deaths of workers at a plastics factory, and the state is investigating the company involved. In Florida, state prisoners are helping clear debris.
Helene made landfall in northern Florida last Thursday, causing widespread destruction across the Southeast. This is the deadliest storm to hit the US mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.