US President Joe Biden has dispatched an additional 1,000 active-duty soldiers to aid relief efforts in the southeastern United States following the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Helene, according to BBC News.
As the storm’s toll rises, over 175 fatalities have been reported, marking Helene as one of the deadliest storms in recent US history. Hundreds remain missing, with search and rescue teams facing difficulties in reaching remote areas ravaged by the storm.
North Carolina has been particularly hard hit, with nearly half of the deaths attributed to Helene occurring in the state.Reports indicate that the region received six months’ worth of rain in a matter of days, leading to severe flooding that washed away homes and bridges.
A volunteer assisting in relief efforts recounted the tale of a woman who had survived Hurricane Katrina in 2005, only to find herself devastated again nearly two decades later. “Looks like she’s wiped out again,” the volunteer said. “She has no drinking water. No gasoline. The food in her fridge has rotted.”
One emergency official from Buncombe County described the devastation as “biblical,” reflecting the widespread destruction across the mountainous terrain.
In Spruce Pine, a small town renowned for its high-purity quartz mines, operations have been halted due to the extreme weather. Meanwhile, in Tennessee, state authorities are investigating a plastics factory where 11 workers were swept away by floodwaters. Impact Plastics claimed they monitored conditions and dismissed employees when water began covering the parking lot. However, employees have alleged they were instructed to continue working until it was too late to escape.
Jacob Ingram, a factory worker, recorded himself waiting for rescue alongside others trapped on the back of a semi-truck. “I’m lucky to be alive,” he posted on Facebook.
Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has warned that rebuilding efforts may take years. President Biden has enabled survivors to apply for federal assistance through disaster declarations in various states.
As of Wednesday morning, more than a million residents in affected areas were still without power. Initial report suggests that human-induced climate change significantly influenced the record rainfall levels experienced during Helene, which saw unprecedented flooding in both North Carolina and Tennessee.
This new deployment of 1,000 soldiers adds to the existing 6,000 National Guard members and 4,800 federal aid workers already active across six states affected by the extreme weather.