Death count from Hurricane Helene reaches more than 160 people - $100 billion or more in estimated economic losses

UPDATED OCT 2: Hundreds of roads remain closed, thousands are still without power, and dozens of water treatment plants are out of operation in North Carolina. The death toll from Hurricane Helene is now 162 people, and rising.

Six days after Hurricane Helene struck the southeastern US , several communities in North Carolina are still struggling to access essential supplies such as food and water. Thousands remain without power, and travel is hazardous with hundreds of roads still closed.

162 people are confirmed dead, however many more remain missing. Many are believed to be unable to leave their location or contact family because of communications and other infrastructure being destroyed.

According to CNN and other US and international media, 349,161 customers in North Carolina remained without power as of Wednesday morning. This is a large improvement from a peak of over one million during the height of the hurricane, according to poweroutage.us. 

Search and rescue efforts are still underway, with teams having rescued more than 440 people and evacuated nearly 4,700 in western North Carolina, according to a Tuesday news release from the governor’s office. 

Additionally, the state’s National Guard has rescued over 400 people, and more than 110 pets have also been saved. 

Original post from September 30, 2024:

At least 95 people have been confirmed dead across six states, and officials believe the death toll could still rise. Economic losses could be a billion USD or more, according to reports. 

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons License

The Florida National Guard cleaning damage in Keaton Beach, Florida, following Hurricane Helene. Photo by the National Guard. 

So far, state and county authorities have reported 36 deaths in North Carolina, 25 in South Carolina, 17 in Georgia, 11 in Florida, four in Tennessee, and two in Virginia. 

Many more people are still missing, possibly stranded or unable to communicate or travel due to widespread damage to vital infrastructure, CNN reports. 

Hundreds of roads, particularly in the Carolinas, remain closed, making it difficult to deliver essential supplies. Over 2 million customers are still without power, according to PowerOutage.us. 

Michael Callahan, president of Duke Energy’s utility operations in South Carolina, emphasized that infrastructure repairs must be completed before power restoration efforts can begin.

Officials in Buncombe County, North Carolina, where at least 30 people have died, reported receiving around 600 missing persons cases via an online form, according to County Manager Avril Pinder. 

Former FEMA administrator Craig Fugate urged people to remain hopeful: 

“Although we know we have lost lives, we generally see more people that are missing or unaccounted for because of communication,” Fugate said.

Hurricane Helene unleashed  very large amounts of rainfall. 

South Carolina received 12 to 14 inches (305 to 355 mm), 

Florida received 12 to 16 inches (305 to 406 mm), 

and Georgia experienced 12 to 14 inches (305 to 355 mm)

The numbers are according to Ken Graham, the director of the National Weather Service.

Hurricane Helene was a fast-moving tropical cyclone and was the strongest on record to strike the Big Bend region of Florida, according to Wikipedia.com.

The total damages and economic loss from Hurricane Helene could reach $110 billion USD , according to Fortune.com.

"Moody’s Analytics said it expects $15 billion to $26 billion in property damage. AccuWeather’s preliminary estimate of the total damage and economic loss from Helene in the U.S. is between $95 billion and $110 billion", the site wrote on September 29. 

Western North Carolina was cut off due to landslides and flooding that forced the closure of Interstate 40 and other roads. Hundreds of water rescues were carried out, including a dramatic operation in rural Unicoi County, East Tennessee, where dozens of patients and staff were airlifted by helicopter from a hospital rooftop on Friday. Rescues continued the following day in Buncombe County, North Carolina, where parts of Asheville were submerged.

In one community, Spruce Pine, over 2 feet (0.6 meters) of rain fell between Tuesday and Saturday.

In Florida’s Big Bend, many residents lost nearly all of their belongings. In some areas, 97% of customers were reported to be still without power as of Sunday morning. 

FEMA writes on their website that they are: 

•  working with state partners to assess damage from the storm as quickly as possible. 
• More than 800 FEMA staff are supporting states affected by the hurricane. 
• Distribution centers are fully stocked and ready to provide supplies and equipment to affected areas. 
• A federal force of over 3,200 personnel, each contributing their expertise to this mission, is being coordinated.