A week after the Helene crash in the southeast, power outages, water shortages and impassable roads are hampering the recovery

CNN
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A week ago, Helene barreled through Florida, devastating cities and towns along the Gulf Coast, as millions of people struggled with pre-hurricane rains that preceded even more rain. Meteorologists warned that impacts would be felt far inland.

In the southeast, the streets were not covered with water, but with cars. The bridges were still standing. The lights were still on. The town of Chimney Rock – home to a popular North Carolina State Park, breathtaking views and iconic rock formations – was still welcoming visitors.

A week later, more than 190 people have died in six states, and survivors are still in disbelief after the historic storm devastated their homes and communities. Chimney Rock was washed away, as were roads and bridges in the path of the massive storm.

Survivors help each other, bringing food and water and helping to dig up and cut down fallen trees. Everyone hopes for small successes, such as restoring their cell phone network or finding an open gas station.

According to PowerOutage.us, more than a million customers are in the dark.
Most are in the Carolinas, where “large portions of the power grid…have simply been wiped away.”

Helene’s rapid flooding destroyed so many utility poles and power lines that infrastructure must be rebuilt before power can be restored. In some counties in Georgia and one in North Carolina, utility companies say more than 90% of their customers are still in the dark. In a small county in south Georgia, 99% of homes and businesses are without power.

Hundreds of roads remain closed, making it difficult to deliver relief supplies to the hardest-hit communities. And for those who left before Helene, their return is delayed to check on family, friends and the state of their homes. Some areas are so inaccessible that supplies are delivered by mule and by air.

In Weaverville, North Carolina, the situation is improving for its roughly 5,000 residents, but “it’s still pretty difficult,” Mayor Patrick Fitzsimmons told CNN on Wednesday. The mayor talked about the grocery story: the only place in town that had working Wi-Fi, he said.

Relief efforts in damaged areas are increasing as border guards restore power and the military and aid groups bring in people and supplies. On Wednesday, President Joe Biden sent 1,000 troops from Fort Liberty in eastern North Carolina to the devastated area western part of the state. Biden visited North and South Carolina on Wednesday, while Vice President Kamala Harris visited Augusta, Georgia, a city where a curfew and boil-water advisory is still in effect.

A week ago, Katie Button’s popular restaurants Cúrate and La Bodega were thriving in Asheville, North Carolina. Now it could take up to a month before restaurants even have access to running water, she says.

As the community tries to comprehend the extent of Helene’s devastation, Button told CNN that she is focused on doing what she can to help those in need. Their restaurants partnered with chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen to deliver meals and water to those cut off from food after the storm.

She estimates that 3,000 meals will be prepared for residents of Asheville and the surrounding community by the end of Wednesday.

“We are able to do this because World Central Kitchen trucks in water for us to use,” Button said. “We will prepare at least 1,000 meals a day. And then they fly these meals by helicopter to people who are completely cut off from the streets. There are so many challenges.”

Robert Gaudet, the founder and CEO of the Cajun Navy, a volunteer disaster rescue and response team, has witnessed firsthand the devastation of dozens of natural disasters.

But he told CNN that the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene left him at a loss for words.

“We have caused many disasters. We went to Maui because of the wildfires. We’ve never seen anything like this before,” he said.

“When foot-deep mud fills properties and homes and an entire city is washed into a lake… and it’s not just about what you see, but a place where you can drive for hours and see the destruction and damage, you lose the sense very quickly of what life was like and what it is like for you.”

Helene is the second most severe hurricane to hit the United States since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Gaudet, who founded the Cajun Navy after Katrina, said the death toll continues to be difficult for him personally.

“We are experiencing many (disasters) and to hear that over 100 people have lost their lives – and these are the ones who have recovered so far, is really terrible,” he said.

Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, announced it would offer free service for 30 days in regions affected by Hurricane Helene.

“For those affected by Hurricane Helene or who want to support relief and recovery efforts in affected areas, Starlink is now free for 30 days,” Starlink said on X.

After 30 days, customers will be moved to a “paid personal subscription tied to the location in which you are using it at that time,” the company said, adding: “We will re-evaluate if necessary based on the terms in the region.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is still working with state and local officials to confirm how many people are missing after Hurricane Helene, Administrator Deanne Criswell told CNN’s Jim Acosta on Wednesday.

More than 3,500 FEMA employees are deployed – including 1,200 in North Carolina alone – to assist in search, rescue and recovery efforts, Criswell said.

“If we look at the infrastructure damage to water, cell phone lines and electricity, it will be difficult to get those back up and running because of the nature of (the mountainous region),” she said.

The agency is sending additional staff, Criswell said, and repairs to some facilities will take weeks, not days.

“We know this will be a permanent operation,” she said. “How can we continue to provide resources that can meet the needs for the next few weeks or until some of these essential services, such as: B. Water, be restored to these communities?”

The administrator said her agency is working with mobile phone companies to introduce portable “cells on wheels” (COWS) to ensure residents can contact emergency services and their loved ones.

“We’re seeing some wireless services starting to improve, but we know they’re still limited in so many different areas,” Criswell said. “We will continue to push forward to expand accessibility.”

She urged those who could not find their relatives to call 211 to help find the missing.