Death toll from Storm Helene in US soars to at least 93
· RTE.ieThe death toll from powerful storm Helene jumped to at least 93, with one county in North Carolina alone reporting 30 deaths, as rescuers battled to reach people in need across the southeastern United States.
The storm left a swathe of damage across several states, some of them key battlegrounds in the November presidential election, prompting Former US president Donald Trump to announce a visit to a hard-hit area.
High winds and torrential rain pummeled towns and cities across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Homes were destroyed, roads flooded out and power cut off to millions.
At least 93 people were killed in the extreme weather, 37 in North Carolina, 25 in South Carolina, 17 in Georgia, 11 in Florida, two in Tennessee and one in Virginia, according to tallies from local authorities.
"We have another devastating update. We now have 30 confirmed losses due to the storm," Quentin Miller, the sheriff in North Carolina's Buncombe County, which includes the tourist city of Asheville, told a briefing.
Flash flood warnings remained in effect in parts of western North Carolina, National Weather Service director Ken Graham said, adding that they were due to the risk of dam failures.
Nearly 2.3 million households remained without power on Sunday, according to tracker poweroutage.us.
US Department of Energy official Matt Targuagno said that crews were working hard to restore electricity but warned it would be "a complex, multi-day response."
Bridges washed away
Helene blew into Florida's northern Gulf shore as a huge Category Four hurricane with winds of 225 kilometers per hour.
Even as it weakened, it wreaked havoc.
North Carolina saw some of the worst of the flooding, with Governor Roy Cooper saying rescuers were being forced to airlift supplies in some areas due to damaged or flooded roads.
Hundreds of roads across the region remained closed, with several bridges washed away by floodwaters.
Four major interstate highways were closed across North Carolina and Tennessee, with "multiple" bridges still out, said Kristin White of the US Department of Transportation.
Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina each had more than 100 road closures, she added.
Mr Trump, the republican former president seeking another term, will visit Valdosta for a briefing on the disaster, his campaign said.
Mr Biden, who has approved federal aid for several states in the wake of the disaster, said intends to travel to hard-hit areas this week, "as soon as it will not disrupt emergency response operations," the White House said.