SWANNANOA, North Carolina, USA (AP) — Dogs trained to locate bodies and victim search teams on Tuesday struggled to walk through knee-deep mud and debris in search of victims of Hurricane Helene in the western mountains of North Carolina, days after the storm carved a deadly and destructive path through the southeast.
When the number of deaths from Helene exceeded 150, search teams were deployed throughout the region, using helicopters to cross destroyed bridges and walking through the desert to reach isolated houses.
Many of those who survived what was one of the deadliest storms in the history of the United States were left without electricity or any way to ask for help. Some cooked food on charcoal grills or walked to higher ground in the hope of finding a signal to call their loved ones.
"The communities were wiped off the map," said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper in a press conference on Tuesday.
The devastation was particularly severe in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where at least 50 people died in Asheville and its surroundings, a tourist paradise known for its art galleries, breweries, and outdoor activities.
On the outskirts of the city, in the small community of Swannanoa, the receding floodwaters revealed stacked cars and mobile homes that had floated during the storm. The roads were filled with mud, debris, and potholes.
The exhausted emergency teams worked 24 hours a day to clear the roads, restore electricity and phone service, and reach those who were still stranded by the storm, which killed at least 152 people in six states. Nearly half of the deaths occurred in North Carolina, while dozens more occurred in South Carolina and Georgia.
President Joe Biden was scheduled to inspect the devastation in the region on Wednesday.
More than 150,000 households have already registered to receive assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a number that is expected to increase rapidly in the coming days, said Frank Matranga, a representative of the agency.
Nearly 2 million prepared meals and over a million liters of water have been sent to the most affected areas, he said.
In North Carolina, the death toll includes one horrific story after another of people trapped by floodwaters or killed by falling trees. Among the deceased were a couple and a 6-year-old child who were waiting on a rooftop when part of their house collapsed.
The search teams in the Asheville area first checked on the most vulnerable.
“We have been going door to door, making sure we can monitor people and see if they are safe,” said Avril Pinder, administrator of Buncombe County, which includes Asheville. “We know that there are still places that are difficult to access.”