Death Toll from Hurricane Helene Reaches 180, Hundreds Remain Missing

The death toll from Hurricane Helene has climbed to at least 180 people across six southeastern states, as search and rescue teams scramble to locate hundreds still missing. The catastrophic storm has left entire communities in ruins, with the hardest-hit areas in North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. Helene is now one of the deadliest hurricanes to strike the mainland U.S. in over half a century, second only to Hurricane Katrina.

The confirmed deaths span multiple states, including:

• North Carolina: 91

• South Carolina: 36

• Georgia: 25

• Florida: 17

• Tennessee: 9

• Virginia: 2

Rescue efforts remain ongoing, particularly in western North Carolina, where severe flooding has cut off roads and communication networks, making it difficult to locate the missing. According to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, teams from 16 states have rescued 440 people and evacuated over 4,700. The North Carolina National Guard has also contributed, rescuing another 400 individuals.

“The challenges are immense,” Cooper said in a statement. “But our joint response effort has and will continue to be massive.”

The devastation is most visible in towns like Asheville, Chimney Rock, and Biltmore Village, which were heavily flooded by torrential rains. Roads have been destroyed, and Duke Energy has reported that major portions of the power grid were "simply wiped away." With over 1 million homes and businesses still without power across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, officials expect that it could take months and hundreds of millions of dollars to restore electricity and rebuild infrastructure.

• North Carolina: 341,091 without power

• South Carolina: 493,006 without power

• Georgia: 365,541 without power

President Joe Biden is expected to visit Asheville on Wednesday as part of a tour of storm-ravaged areas. On Monday, Biden expressed his concern for the missing residents, saying, “God willing they’re alive, but there’s no way to contact them.”

Duke Energy officials emphasized that rebuilding the power grid from scratch will take considerable time, as the damage is so extensive. Patrick Fitzsimmons, mayor of Weaverville, North Carolina, echoed this sentiment, saying, “This is not going to be a quick fix." Entire neighborhoods have been flattened, and some roads, like a section of Interstate 40, will require total reconstruction.

Rescue and relief efforts are being organized by a wide range of groups, including religious ministries and local officials. Samaritan’s Purse, a well-known Christian relief organization, is on the ground providing aid to those displaced by the storm. Conservative activist Robby Starbuck has teamed up with Tennessee state representatives Jason Zachary and Jeremy Faison to collect and distribute critical supplies such as water, toilet paper, and non-perishable food to the hardest-hit areas in East Tennessee.

As the scale of Helene’s destruction becomes clearer, the full toll on lives, infrastructure, and communities will continue to rise. While emergency responders work around the clock to find survivors, the path to recovery will be long and costly.

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