Recovery efforts continue in the South following the severe damage wrought by Hurricane Helene.
Here are the key takeaways from the aftermath of what may well be the most destructive storm to ever strike the region:
- the death toll stands at 120 across six states
- hundreds of roads and highways remain closed, especially in North and South Carolina
- numerous truck stops and travel centers are closed or have reduced services
- more than 2 million customers remain without power
- the path of destruction stretches 800 miles from the Florida panhandle to Tennessee and Kentucky
- as much as 29 inches of rain fell in the mountains of North Carolina
Many highways in western North Carolina remain closed. NCDOT posted to its website: “I-40 is impassable in multiple locations. I-26 is closed at the Tennessee state line. There are many closed roads that are not listed on this site as many areas are not able to report at this time. All roads in Western North Carolina should be considered closed and non-emergency travel is prohibited.”
Most of the closures are west on Interstate 77. More than 60 closures are along primary routes including I-40, U.S. 74, U.S. 64 and dozens of other U.S. and N.C. highways.
“The scope and magnitude of this devastation is unlike anything many long-time residents have ever seen in western North Carolina,” said North Carolina Department of Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins. “We’re doing everything we can to help North Carolina recover from this devastating storm but this will be a long-term effort. We need people to be patient and help us with the recovery effort by staying off the roads.”
See Pilot Flying J closures or service interruptions.
See Love’s closures or service interruptions.
See TravelCenters of America closures or service interruptions.
More than 3,500 personnel from across the federal government workforce are deployed and supporting Hurricane Helene response efforts across the impacted states. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it has has shipped over 1.9 million Meals Ready to Eat (MREs), more than 1 million liters of water, 30 generators and over 95,000 tarps.
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