Damage from Hurricane Helene was experienced in seven states Florida Tennessee North Carolina South Carolina Alabama Virginia and Georgia with hundreds still missing and more than 100 dead
600 people in the southeastern US are still missing in the wake of Hurricane Helene as rescue efforts continue amid apocalyptic scenes
During an address from the Oval Office on Monday President Joe Biden promised help is on the way Well continue to serve resources including food water communications and lifesaving equipment will be there Biden said I mean it as long as it takes to finish this job
The president also said that he will travel to the region later this week as long as his going doesnt impact rescue or relief effortsIve been told that it would be disruptive if I did it right now he said The storm has left a trail of devastation from Florida all the way to Tennessee with some of those hardest hit areas being western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee The storm has reportedly claimed more than 100 lives according to local authorities and 600 people remain unaccounted for That number dropped from 1000 people after some cell service was restored to the area
READ MORE Drone footage shows postapocalyptic damage in North Carolina town after Hurricane Helene
READ MORE Florida town is wiped off map by Hurricane Helene after being hit by 10foot storm surge and 140mph winds
Damage caused by the storm that started as Hurricane Helene in Rocky Mountain North Carolina
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CITY OF ROCKY MOUNTAINHANDOUTEPAEFEREXShutterstock
Biden said he has instructed his team to provide every available resource as fast as possible to your communities to rescue recover and to begin rebuilding Multiple federal agencies are involved in the rescue and recovery effort including FEMA and the Federal Communications Commission which are assisting in establishing communication capabilities
The Army Corps of Engineers the National Guard and the Department of Defense are providing additional resources to the region and assist in clearing debris and delivering lifesaving resources
Many in the region are dealing with bridges and roads that have been washed away making getting supplies and rescue workers to certain areas difficult Damage from the storm was experienced in seven states Florida Tennessee North Carolina South Carolina Alabama Virginia and Georgia
Mud fills the entrance to Terry Wilsonaposs home in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene
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Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Floridas Big Bend Category 4 hurricane just after 11 pm EST on Thursday On Sunday Biden approved federal disaster declarations for Florida and North Carolina which allows survivors to immediately apply for federal funds to begin recovery efforts
Residents of 17 Florida counties and 25 North Carolina counties including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians can now apply for assistance with FEMA according to the White House FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell travelled to Florida over the weekend to assess the damage alongside local and state officials She also visited Georgia on Sunday and North Carolina on Monday according to the White House
An aerial view of a home that was destroyed by fire as a result of storm surge as Hurricane Helene
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Vice President Kamala Harris cut short a planned campaign stop in Nevada on Monday to visit the FEMA headquarters to learn about the federal actions being taken to support the rescue and recovery effort a White House official said
More than 3300 workers from the across the federal government have been deployed to the region to support response efforts according to the White House