Southeast US devastated by remnants of Hurricane Helene

Helene smashed into the Florida Gulf coast on Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane and quickly moved through Georgia, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake as it tore through houses, ripped up roads, and severed lines of communication.

Sam Perkins initially got in his vehicle and began to drive toward his parents’ home, which is situated on a mountain between Spruce Pine and Little Switzerland.

The death toll continues to rise and hundreds of people are unaccounted for after Hurricane Helene left a path of destruction in the south.

The storm killed more than 100 people across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia, and the death toll is expected to rise once rescue teams reach isolated towns and telecommunications are restored.