More and more American states are fighting against floods: the Helene disaster leaves at least 63 dead

Torrential rains caused by Storm Helene ravaged parts of North Carolina and Tennessee, the last states in the southeastern United States to suffer a disaster that left at least 63 dead.

In North Carolina, the mountain town of Asheville was largely isolated by flooding on Saturday, reported CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.

More than 400 roads remain closed in the state, where 10 people have died. Supplies are being flown to residents, state Gov. Roy Cooper said.

Authorities continued to carry out daring rescues with boats, helicopters and large vehicles to help people stranded in floodwaters, including about 50 workers and patients gathered on the roof of a flooded Tennessee hospital.

Many gas stations are closed in North Carolina and there are long lines of cars in front of those still open. Power outages affected at least three million customers in five states.

The storm began as a hurricane – the strongest on record to hit Florida’s Big Bend – and moved north into Georgia and the Carolinas after making landfall Thursday night.

In pictures: destruction of Hurricane Hélène

Even though Helene has weakened significantly, forecasters warn that high winds, flooding and the threat of tornadoes could persist.

Damage is estimated at $95 billion to $110 billion (£71 billion to £82 billion). Governor Cooper called it “one of the worst storms in modern history” to hit North Carolina.

Asheville, home to about 94,000 residents and a popular tourism and arts center, was flooded and eerily calm Saturday, CBS reported.

The search for survivors continues and a federal state of emergency has been declared in six states, including Florida and Georgia.

In Tennessee, 58 patients and staff members were stranded on the roof of a hospital in the town of Erwin on Friday. Fast-moving waters of the Nolichucky River prevented boats from performing rescues and high winds prevented helicopter operations.

The group was then brought to safety after helicopters from the Tennessee National Guard and Virginia State Police intervened.

“The devastation we are seeing in the wake of Hurricane Helen is overwhelming,” President Joe Biden said Saturday.

He was briefed by Deanne Criswell, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, who he asked to accelerate support for storm survivors, including the deployment of additional teams to North Carolina.

There could be as many as 25 named storms in 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned earlier this year.

Between eight and 13 of these storms could strengthen into hurricanes and a handful of them have already done so, including Helene.

More storms could be on the horizon, officials warned, as the official end of the hurricane season is not expected until November 30.