Watch: Heart-stopping moment as building and containers are washed away, leaving 210 casualties in Helene’s wake.
Footage captured in Asheville, North Carolina, vividly documented the devastating moment when sections of a building, along with a shipping container, were swept away by fierce floodwaters linked to Tropical Storm Helene.
As the tumultuous waters surged, debris from the Asheville Tea Company building collided with an electrical pole, disintegrating upon impact. The shipping container crumpled over the pole, a stark reminder of nature’s overwhelming force.
Tragically, the death toll has now surpassed 210, following Helene’s catastrophic path, which wreaked havoc across multiple states in the U.S. This storm has been recognized as the second deadliest to strike the mainland in over fifty years, leading to widespread grief and despair.
Making landfall in Florida, Helene initially arrived as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, leaving chaos and destruction in its wake.
In response to this calamity, President Joe Biden visited the southeastern region of the country for the second consecutive day, sharing in the grief of residents whose lives have been shattered by this disaster. “I see you, I hear you, I grieve with you – and I promise you, we have your back,” he assured victims during a visit to a pecan farm in Ray City, Georgia.
Across the affected areas, flooding has turned towns and cities into ghostly shadows of their former selves. Roads became impassable, power and water services were disrupted, and the community’s spirit lay under the weight of shock and sorrow, as they began piecing together a recovery that may span years.
North Carolina bore the brunt of the tragedy, with more than half of the fatalities reported here. Many local residents have expressed that the disaster feels almost otherworldly, describing scenes akin to a post-apocalyptic landscape.
Not only is Helene the deadliest hurricane to strike the continental U.S. since Hurricane Katrina, which resulted in 1,392 deaths in 2005, but its expansive reach forced hundreds of rescue operations across six states. Thousands of federal personnel, alongside National Guard members and active-duty troops, are currently assisting local responders, yet the death toll continues to climb.
Numerous individuals remain unaccounted for, particularly in the mountainous regions rife with isolated pockets, making searching efforts a daunting task. In Buncombe County, which is at the heart of this catastrophe and home to over 70 confirmed fatalities, officials announced, “We are continuing to find survivors.” They further noted that some residents remain cut off from outside assistance, hindered by landslides and obliterated bridges.
In picturesque Asheville, a town famed for its stunning mountain backdrop and bustling tourist scene, streets have been engulfed by thick mud, and along the riverbanks, homes and other structures have been tragically swept away by the relentless waters.
Efforts to locate survivors in these rugged terrains continue, even as downtown Asheville buzzes with community resilience. Local restaurants and charitable organizations are stepping up, offering free meals and water to those in need. Meanwhile, repair crews face the Herculean task of restoring electricity to the hundreds of thousands still left in the dark.
In these dark times, hope flickers like a candle, guiding residents in their fight for survival and recovery. As communities rally together, they reflect the spirit of resilience. The road ahead is long and fraught with challenges, but the determination to rebuild remains unwavering. “Together, we will rise from this,” local leaders have asserted, echoing a sentiment that unites all who have been affected.
Edited by: Ali Musa
Axadle international–Monitoring
