ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Rescuers continue to search for anyone still unaccounted for since Hurricane Helene's remnants caused catastrophic damage to the Southeast, with the death toll at least 227.
The number of deaths stood at 225 on Friday; two more were recorded in South Carolina the following day. It was still unclear how many people were unaccounted for or missing, and the toll could rise even higher.
The devastation was especially bad in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where at least 40 people died in and around the city of Asheville, a tourism haven known for its art galleries, breweries, and outdoor activities.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) says there have been 70 verified storm-related deaths in the state from Helene,
In Buncombe County, where Asheville is located, FEMA-approved assistance has surpassed $12 million for survivors, Tierney said Saturday during a news briefing.
"This is critical assistance that will help people with their immediate needs, as well as displacement assistance that helps them if they can't stay in their home," she said.
Exhausted emergency crews worked around the clock to clear roads, restore power and phone service, and reach those still stranded by the storm. Nearly half of the storm's deaths were in North Carolina, while dozens of others were in South Carolina and Georgia.
The ongoing search is complicated by obstacles such as landslides and blocked roads.
"Our search and rescue crews are using drones and canines to search for people," an official told ABC News. "Once those crews have exhausted every resource, we will conclude the search."
The western part of the state is in ruins from destroyed homes, severe flooding, mudslides, and collapsed roads. Some roads are gone making it a challenge to deliver water, food, and other supplies to people.
Search and rescue crews from all levels of government were deployed throughout western North Carolina. Federal agencies, aid groups, and volunteers worked to deliver supplies by air, truck, and even mule train.
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EDITORS NOTE: A previous version of this article stated there were 113 deaths in North Carolina
President Joe Biden posted a statement on X about the government's response to Hurricane Helene.
He said he "ordered another 500 active-duty troops with advanced technological assets to move into Western North Carolina and assist with the response and recovery efforts. 1,500 troops will now support thousands of National Guardsman and federal personnel on the ground."
Brad Farrington pulls over to grab a case of water bottles being passed out in Vilas, a small rural community tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He's on his way to help a friend who lost much of what he owned when Hurricane Helene blew through last weekend.
His friend, like countless others across western North Carolina, is starting over, which explains why Farrington isn't thinking too much about politics or the White House race between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris right now.
"I don't believe people's hope is in either people that are being elected," he said.
Farrington pauses, then gestures toward a dozen volunteers loading water and other necessities into cars and trucks.
"I believe we're finding a lot more hope within folks like this," he said.
In the election's final weeks, people in North Carolina and Georgia, influential swing states, are dealing with more immediate concerns: widespread storm damage. If that weren't enough, voters in Watauga County, a ticket-splitting Appalachian county that has become more Democratic in recent years, must contend with politicians laying blame while offering support as they campaign in a race that could be decided by any small shift.
The United States Department of Agriculture approved North Carolina to allow current Food and Nutrition Services participants in 23 western state counties to receive 70% of the monthly September benefit back on their EBT card, the NC Department of Health and Human Services said Sunday.
This includes Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey counties.
The benefit replacement is automatic and does not require action from the participant. NCDHHS said this will impact 200,000 people in NC and more than $24 million in replacement benefits.
The department also received approval for participants to temporarily use benefits to purchase hot food from EBT retailers using their cards. This will last through Nov. 3 statewide and do not have to apply for the benefit.
NCDHHS is working with USDA to receive federal authority to operate a Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Around 125,000 are still without power across North Carolina one week after Helene swept through the state
According to Duke Energy, in western North Carolina, restoration "may be extended in particular areas where catastrophic damage has occurred to electrical infrastructures, roads/bridges, or both."
"We've never had anything like this. Never. I've talked with guys who have been 40, 50 years in this field, each one of them says never before," Duke Energy spokesperson Bill Norton told WLOS last week.
