At Least 106 Dead Across 6 States. Southeast U.S. Grapples With Widespread Devastation

The Talmadge Memorial Bridge, which spans the Savannah River between downtown Savannah and Hutchinson Island

The death toll from Helene had risen to at least 106 people across six states by Monday morning. Officials said that the toll was likely to rise in the coming days as flood waters receded and the hundreds of missing persons reports were addressed.

The widespread devastation caused by Helene, the biggest Hurricane on record to slam into Florida’s Big Bend, knocking out power to millions, destroying roads and highways, placing neighborhoods under water, and leaving widespread devastation in its wake.

North Carolina is some 600 miles (966 km) from where Hurricane Helene made landfall late Thursday but the devastation there is great and it bears the heavy aftermath of the deadly storm. The French Broad River continues to flow beyond its banks through downtown Asheville and nearby towns. Major roads remained closed in places.

The Swannanoa River at Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina, has reached flood levels not seen since 1791 thanks to the remnants of Helene.

“Record Flood Stage. This stage last occurred in April of 1791 according to Tennessee Valley Authority records,” the National Water Prediction Service posted on the river gauge’s website. “Catastrophic flooding of the Swannanoa River Valley is likely.”

Meanwhile, in Georgia, Savannah’s location made it more susceptible to Helene’s hurricane-force winds and hurricane-force winds toppled trees, telephone and electric poles, and traffic lights, and managed to knock out power in the Savannah area by Friday morning. The Georgia Power Company said that thousands of people in the area as well as elsewhere in the state were still without power as of Monday morning.

The power outages are affecting thousands of homes and businesses in Bulloch and Chatham counties as well, and there is a “boil water” advisory in some areas of both counties.

Georgia Southern University said on Sunday that all campuses were closed and that classes would be canceled Monday and Tuesday.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)