North Carolina is facing a long road to recovery after Helene left a trail of destruction. President Joe Biden has pledged the full support of the federal government.
North Carolina is struggling to recover from the destruction left by Helene.
At least 35 people were killed just in the Asheville area, which was hit with severe flooding and mudslides.
“This is an unprecedented storm and it’s causing us to have an unprecedented response,” said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper.
Water and other supplies have been airlifted into the area because roads and other critical infrastructure have been washed away. In addition, Ashevilles water system was severely damaged in the storm, forcing residents to get water from creeks to fill toilets.
RELATED STORY | Displaced residents grappling with Helene’s aftermath
Devastation does not even begin to describe how we feel, but my teams will be continuing to help in recovery,” said Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller.
More than 100,000 people in the Ashville area were without power as of Monday, and officials still don’t know when it will be restored.
“One of our neighbors walked by and said that there’s one house in the vicinity that has power and they’re putting out power cords for everybody to charge their devices,” said Carrie Owenby, who lives in Asheville.
RELATED STORY | Biden pledges full support of federal government for Helene recovery efforts
Speaking from the White House on Monday, President Joe Biden promised the full support of the federal government. FEMA said it had already deployed more than 3,500 personnel to support relief efforts
“We’re not leaving until the job is done,” the president stated.