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At least 90 people have died and thousands remain unaccounted for in relation to Hurricane Helene and its remnants over the weekend, USA TODAY reports.
Helene was reported to have made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in the Big Bend region of Florida with sustained winds at 140 MPH Thursday before weakening to a tropical storm Friday morning and moving through several other states including Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia. Western North Carolina was one of the areas hit hardest by the storm, with Buncombe County accounting for 30 deaths alone.
"We are still conducting search operations, and we know that those also may include recovery operations," Sheriff Quentin Miller said via USA TODAY. "Our hearts are broken with this news and we ask that folks give our community the space and time to grieve this incredible loss."
Neighboring Henderson County also reported five deaths in relation to the storm. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper activated more than 500 soldiers and airmen from the National Guard in relation to ongoing rescue efforts.
"Even as the rain and winds have subsided, the challenge for people there increases," Cooper said via USA TODAY. "People are desperate for help, and we are pushing to get it to them."
Helene is anticipated to be one of the costliest storms in U.S. history as AccuWeather's preliminary estimate is between $95 billion to $100 billion.