Death toll from Hurricane Helene rises to over 200

More than 200 people are confirmed dead after Hurricane Helene carved a path of destruction through several southeastern states, US officials said Thursday, including flood-ravaged North Carolina where half of the fatalities have been recorded.

A compilation by AFP of official figures confirms 201 fatalities across North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia, making Helene the second deadliest hurricane to hit the US mainland in more than half a century, second only to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The destruction and desperation were overwhelming. A flattened cargo container sat atop a bridge crossing a river with muddy brown water. A mass of debris, including overturned pontoon boats and splintered wooden docks and tree trunks covered the surface of Lake Lure, a picturesque spot tucked between the mountains outside Asheville.

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Officials warned that rebuilding would be lengthy and difficult. Helene roared ashore in northern Florida late Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane and quickly moved through Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee. The storm upended life throughout the Southeast, where deaths were also reported in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia.

Western North Carolina suffered relatively more devastation because that’s where the remnants of Helene encountered the higher elevations and cooler air of the Appalachian Mountains, causing even more rain to fall.

With inputs from agencies.