America News Agency

The storm killed at least 91 people, according to state and local officials in South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. Authorities fear more bodies will be found.

“This is going to be a complicated recovery in each of the five states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee,” said Deanne Criswell, director of Fema.

A 15-foot storm surge hit the Taylor area of Florida, where Helene made landfall late Thursday as a category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 miles per hour (225 km/h), Criswell said, noting that areas in western North Carolina, where search and rescue efforts are underway, recorded 74 cm of rain as the storm stalled over the region.

On Sunday, Criswell told CBS's Face the Nation, “North Carolina is experiencing historic flooding. I don't think anybody could have been fully prepared for the flooding and landslides they're experiencing right now.”

Kamala Harris said the Joe Biden administration has approved emergency declarations for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, “making resources and funding available to maximize our coordinated response efforts at the local, state and federal levels.”

The White House said Sunday that Biden plans to travel this week in a way that will not disrupt the emergency response to communities affected by Hurricane Helene.

Biden met with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper on Sunday evening to brief them on the response and recovery efforts and pledged continued support for communities affected by the hurricane.

In one North Carolina county, including the mountain city of Asheville, 30 people were reported killed by the storm. As many as 1,000 people are still unaccounted for in Buncombe County in the Appalachian mountains, where the tornado caused catastrophic flooding and mudslides in the Asheville area, cutting off most communications and making roads impassable.

More than 150 search and rescue operations are underway in the state. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper's office said on Sunday that “people are desperate for help”. “Even as the rain and wind have subsided, the challenge for people there is increasing.”