Rescue Efforts Intensify After Devastating Hurricane Helene Hits Southeast U.S.

North Carolina has resumed search and rescue operations following Hurricane Helene, which has killed over 100 people across multiple states. Efforts continue to deliver aid and restore telecommunications. The National Guard is distributing food and water to remote areas, and further deaths are anticipated as rescue teams reach isolated locations.

North Carolina resumed search and rescue operations on Tuesday, determined to deliver aid and establish contact with hundreds of people isolated by washed-out roads and damaged cellphone towers in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

The storm claimed over 100 lives across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Virginia, with the death toll expected to rise as rescue teams reach more isolated areas. In North Carolina's mountainous region near Asheville, one of the deceased was David Carver, 58, who perished after attempting to divert water away from his home during the storm.

As Carver worked in the driving rain, half his house collapsed in a mudslide, dragging him downhill. His neighbor Ken Fisher, 60, tried to rescue him, but Carver became trapped in a drainage pipe. Despite Fisher's efforts to keep him conscious and reassured, Carver died in the hospital due to trauma to his internal organs.

Governor Roy Cooper reported that North Carolina is coordinating 92 search and rescue teams, with massive efforts focused on the Appalachian Mountains where the hurricane caused extensive damage. Emergency workers have delivered a million liters of water and 600,000 meals. The National Guard is transporting food and water to remote areas by plane and helicopter.

Helene made landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast as a hurricane, causing widespread destruction in the southeastern states. Power outages affected 1.7 million homes and businesses across six states, with hundreds of thousands still in the dark. More than 7,000 people have registered for federal assistance, and hundreds remain missing, though this number may decrease as communications are restored.

(With inputs from agencies.)