Hurricane Helene’s Toll Tops 200 as Rescue Efforts Intensify

Rescuers in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains are battling treacherous conditions—think swollen rivers, mudslides, and downed trees—to locate survivors of Hurricane Helene, which has claimed over 200 lives across the southeastern U.S. The storm, now the deadliest to hit the mainland U.S. since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, left entire communities cut off, with victims discovered days after the disaster.

As of Thursday, the death toll reached 215, with roughly half in North Carolina. Teams like the Pensacola Volunteer Fire Department are navigating apocalyptic scenes, clearing debris and racing against time. ‘It’s like the mountains just collapsed,’ one volunteer said, describing rivers turned into raging, chocolate-milk-colored torrents.

Authorities warn the number of missing could rise as remote areas remain inaccessible. For now, horses, canoes, and sheer grit are keeping hope alive.

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Helene's death toll tops 200, search for the missing continues

cgtn.com