New Video from Asheville Reveals Stunning Devastation from Hurricane Helene

Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 hurricane that was later downgraded to a tropical storm, ravaged the southeastern United States through the weekend after making its initial landfall in Florida on Thursday. Its destructive path tore through seven states, reportedly leaving 95 dead in six states and hundreds missing. More than two million are without power.

North Carolina was hit especially hard by the storm, with several roads completely flooded and the power knocked out for thousands of citizens. In Buncombe County, 30 people were reported dead due to the storm, and 600 were reported missing via an online form.

Footage taken from the air showed the extent of the damage while shots from the ground provided a close-up of the devastation to businesses, homes, vehicles, and infrastructure.

President Joe Biden declared North Carolina a major disaster area on Saturday, making it eligible to receive federal funding.

The Asheville Citizen Times reported that a water tanker would provide clean water and that Verizon was partnering with the the city of Asheville to provide a satellite cell tower to restore some phone service. Some grocery stores were also planning to reopen. The county’s power provider, Duke Energy, stated that power would be restored “no later than Friday evening.”

Among the affected structures was the historic Biltmore Estate, which announced on its site that it was “temporarily closed” while it assessed its damage from the storm.

For more information on how to help the affected states, visit FEMA.gov.

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