The death toll from Hurricane Helene in the United States rose to at least 63 Saturday night, according to authorities, while rescue teams searched for survivors in devastated areas of several states in the southern and eastern United States.
At least 24 people died in South Carolinar -including two firefighters-, 17 in Georgia, 11 in Florida, 10 North Carolina and one in Virginia, according to an updated report from local authorities and an AFP count based on media reports.
Meanwhile, millions of Americans remained without power, as the remnants of powerful Hurricane Helene hit the eastern and midwestern states of the country.
Rescue teams are working to restore power and deal with the consequences of massive floods, which have destroyed homes, roads and businesses in several states.
“I am deeply saddened by the human loss and devastation caused by Hurricane Helene,” US President Joe Biden said on Saturday. “The road to recovery will be long,” he added.
Everything disappeared in Cedar Key
On Cedar Key, an island of just a few hundred people off the west coast of Florida, roofs were torn off and walls were blown open.
“It breaks my heart to see this”Gabe Doty, a municipal employee, told AFP. “Many houses have disappeared, the market has disappeared. The post office has disappeared. “It is a true tragedy, and it will be difficult to rebuild,” he commented.
Helene made landfall on Thursday afternoon near Tallahassee, capital of the state of Florida, as a Category 4 hurricane on a scale of 5, with winds of 225 km/h, and continued to wreak havoc even after weakening to a post-tropical cyclone.
The storm that has now dissipated then continued through several states, causing intense flooding, before gradually losing strength.
However, the storm has left vast areas destroyed by landslides and floodwaters, including as far away as Asheville, North Carolina.
More than a million customers remained without electricity on Saturday afternoon in South Carolina and another 730,000 in Georgia, plus several hundred thousand in other states, according to the tracking website poweroutage.com.
Keep reading:
• Evacuations begin in Florida due to the proximity of Hurricane Helen
• Storm Helene conditions could make it a major hurricane this Thursday
• A hurricane could hit the Florida coast this week
