WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The death toll from the devastating floods caused by Hurricane Helene in the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Virginia and Tennessee has crossed 100.
Buncombe County in North Carolina was the worst hit, where at least 30 people have been reported dead and hundreds of others are missing.
Tens of thousands of residents in the Carolinas are without power and mobile service as the winds downed trees and hundreds of roads remain closed.
'This storm has brought catastrophic devastation... of historic proportions,' said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.
The National Hurricane Center has downgraded Helene, which made landfall in Florida on Thursday, to a Category 4 hurricane with winds reaching 140 mph.
President Joe Biden has declared that a major disaster exists in the States of North Carolina and South Carolina, and ordered Federal aid to supplement State, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Helene.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell visited Florida and Georgia over the weekend to assess damage alongside local and state officials before she moves into North Carolina on Monday.
The White House said Biden advised the FEMA Administrator that as soon as it will not disrupt emergency response operations, he intends to travel this week to impacted communities.
Additionally, the Federal government is closely monitoring an additional weather disturbance in the Caribbean Sea that has the potential to form into another storm in the coming days. Residents throughout the Gulf Coast have been advised to remain alert, listen to local officials, and make additional preparations as needed.
Meanwhile, President Biden will deliver remarks on his Administration's continued response efforts to Hurricane Helene at White House at 10:30 AM ET, Monday.
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