**Rescue Operations Continue in the Aftermath of Hurricane “Helen”**
On Tuesday, rescue teams with search dogs pressed on through knee-deep mud and debris in the western mountains of North Carolina, searching for victims of Hurricane “Helen”.
Several days ago, Hurricane “Helen” caused severe damage in the southeastern United States. The death toll from the hurricane has now exceeded 150 people.
Rescue teams are conducting search operations in the region, flying over destroyed bridges by helicopter, trekking through the wilderness to reach isolated homes.
This has been one of the deadliest storms in US history. Many survivors have lost power and are unable to seek help. Some are cooking food over charcoal fires or trekking to higher ground in hopes of finding a signal to call their loved ones.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper stated at a press conference on Tuesday, “Some communities have disappeared from the map.”
The Blue Ridge Mountains have been particularly hard hit, with at least 50 fatalities in Asheville and surrounding areas. Asheville is a popular tourist destination known for its historic architecture, art galleries, breweries, and outdoor activities.
In the small community of Swannanoa outside Asheville, floodwaters receded to reveal cars and RVs swept away by the storm, piled up together, with roads covered in mud and debris.
Exhausted emergency personnel are working tirelessly day and night to clear roads, restore power and telephone services, and assist those still stranded by the storm.
This storm has claimed at least 152 lives across six states. Nearly half of the deaths occurred in North Carolina, with dozens more in South Carolina and Georgia.
President Joe Biden is set to visit the affected areas on Wednesday.
Frank Matranga, a representative from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), reported that over 150,000 households have applied for assistance from the agency, and this number is expected to rise rapidly in the coming days.
Matranga mentioned that nearly 2 million ready-to-eat meals and over 1 million gallons of water have been delivered to the hardest-hit areas.
Tragic stories of individuals being trapped by floods or struck by falling trees during the storm have emerged from the fatalities in North Carolina. Among the deceased are a couple and a six-year-old boy who were waiting on the roof of their home when part of the structure collapsed.
In the Asheville area, rescue teams are prioritizing the most vulnerable populations for assistance.
Avril Pinder, the county commissioner for Buncombe County, where Asheville is located, mentioned, “We are going door-to-door to ensure we see people, ensure they’re safe, but there are still areas that are difficult to access.”
The storm triggered historic flooding in North Carolina, with rainfall estimates exceeding 2 feet in some areas since Wednesday, leading to road closures due to mudslides along several routes to Asheville.
One section of Interstate 40, a major highway in the region, reopened on Tuesday after being cleared of debris from mudslides, while another road near the North Carolina-Tennessee border remained closed due to a landslide.
North Carolina Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins urged people to stay off the roads to allow emergency rescue and post-disaster recovery personnel access to the disaster zones.
In a grocery store in Asheville, Elizabeth Teall-Fleming waited in line to purchase non-perishable food as her home lacked electricity, relying on a camp stove to heat canned goods for her family.
She expressed relief that the store was open, stating, “I’m glad they’re open for us to go in.”
She expressed shock at the intensity of the storm, saying, “We’ve only seen bits and pieces of news, but it’s truly shocking and very saddening.”
Hurricane “Helen” struck Florida on Thursday night as a Category 4 hurricane before swiftly moving northward. The storm disrupted life across the entire southeastern region, with reports of fatalities in Florida, Tennessee, and Virginia. Officials have warned that the rebuilding process will be long and challenging.
The Federal Communications Commission stated that widespread damage and power outages have impacted crucial communication infrastructure, leaving many unable to access internet and mobile services consistently.
Verizon is working to repair collapsed signal towers and damaged cables in the area and providing alternative forms of connectivity. AT&T has activated its “largest emergency connectivity support in our post-disaster recovery assets”.
David Zumwalt, the chair and CEO of the Association for Broadband Without Boundaries, noted the challenges in restoring services in the area due to the terrain and dispersed population.
The situation in western North Carolina has been particularly severe as the remnants of Hurricane “Helen” encountered the high altitudes and cold air of the Appalachian Mountains there, leading to higher rainfall totals.
Asheville and many surrounding mountain towns are situated in valleys, making them vulnerable to devastating rains and floods. Meteorologist Christiaan Patterson from the National Weather Service also mentioned that the ground was already saturated before the arrival of Hurricane “Helen”.
Climate change has exacerbated these conditions, allowing storms to intensify rapidly in warmer waters, sometimes forming powerful cyclones within a few hours.
In Georgia, Hurricane “Helen” cut off power supplies from Valdosta to Augusta inland, disrupting people’s lives. On Tuesday, cars lined up to collect water at least half a mile around a shopping center.
Resident Kristie Nelson expressed uncertainty about when power would be restored, saying, “It’s bad, I just want a hot shower!”
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and his entourage flew to the eastern part of the state on Tuesday to assess the situation. Local residents, while inspecting a destroyed high school, expressed that they were the first batch of rescue personnel they had seen since the storm hit.
One local resident despondently asked, “Where is everyone else? It’s just us here.”
South Carolina has reported at least 36 fatalities, surpassing the 35 deaths from Hurricane “Hugo” in 1989 when it made landfall north of Charleston.
Tropical Storm “Kirk” is currently churning in the eastern Atlantic, expected to upgrade to a hurricane later on Tuesday. The US National Hurricane Center forecasts the storm potentially reaching major hurricane status by Thursday. The storm is currently located about 1,010 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands, with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph. No coastal warnings or watches have been issued, and the storm poses no immediate threat to land.
(*This article references reporting by the Associated Press*)