Asheville, North Carolina, September 29, 2024. (REUTERS/Marco Bello) |
The storm's winds, rain and storm surge killed at least 90 people in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia, according to a Reuters tally of state and local officials. Officials feared still more bodies would be discovered.
With cellphone towers down across the region, hundreds of people had yet to make contact with loved ones and were listed as unaccounted for.
Damage estimates ranged from 15 billion to more than 100 billion USD as water systems, communications and critical transportation routes were affected.
Helene slammed into Florida's Gulf Coast on Thursday night, triggering days of driving rain and destroying homes that had stood for decades.