Flooded roads, power outages across US hamper storm rescue efforts

MIAMI: Rescuers scrambled Sunday to reach people in need in the southeastern United States after devastating Hurricane Helene, with flooded roads, power outages and other hazards hampering progress, authorities said.

The storm wreaked havoc across several states, including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, with high winds and torrential rain leaving some cities looking like they’ve been wiped off the map.

“Search and rescue efforts by local, state and federal responders are continuing,” said Lori Moore-Merrell of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“There are significant road closures today due to standing water and hazards that are hampering response efforts, including power restoration, debris removal, search and rescue and damage assessment.”

At least 64 people were killed in five states, according to a consolidated count, with more than 2.7 million households without power on Sunday.

Of those who died, 24 were in South Carolina, 17 in Georgia, 11 in Florida, 11 in North Carolina and one in Virginia, according to local authorities and media reported by AFP.

There were still three active flood emergencies in western North Carolina on Sunday, said Ken Graham, director of the National Weather Service, adding that they were due to the risk of levee failure.

The weather is expected to ease in the affected areas around Tuesday, he said.

Thousands of people continued to seek help at shelters run by the American Red Cross, said Jennifer Pipa, an official with the organization.

“Extremely dangerous”

Helene made landfall on Florida’s northern Gulf Coast as a massive Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 140 miles (225 kilometers) per hour. Even as it weakened to a post-tropical cyclone, it wreaked havoc.

North Carolina saw some of the worst of the flooding, with Gov. Roy Cooper saying Sunday that rescue workers had to airlift supplies to some areas because of damaged or flooded roads.

“Because it is so difficult to get trucks in by land, yesterday we started airlifting supplies, including food and water, into the area,” he said.

William Ray, director of the state’s emergency management division, warned that conditions remain extremely dangerous.

Hundreds of roads across the region remained closed, with several bridges swept away by floodwaters.

Four major interstate highways were closed across North Carolina and Tennessee, with “many” bridges still out, said Christine White of the US Department of Transportation.

Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina had more than 100 road closures, he added.

In Valdosta, Georgia, the storm tore roofs off buildings and left a tangle of downed poles and trees at street intersections.

“The wind started really whipping, like, I felt branches and pieces of the roof hitting the side of the building and hitting the windows,” Valdosta resident Steven Mauro said.

“And then we were looking out and then literally this whole street, everything just went black.”

On Sunday, Matt Targuagno of the US Department of Energy said crews were working to restore power to all customers, but that it was “a complex, multi-day response.”