Helene death toll rises to 189, making it deadliest storm to hit mainland US since Hurricane Katrina

The confirmed decease toll for Hurricane Helene roseate to astatine slightest 189 radical arsenic of Wednesday evening, The Associated Press reported, making it the deadliest hurricane since Katrina to deed the mainland U.S.

The tempest surge, upwind harm and inland flooding from Hurricane Helene person been catastrophic, flooding neighborhoods, stranding residents and destroying homes successful Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.

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As betterment efforts continued crossed the Southeast, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to the portion Wednesday to survey the demolition portion rescuers support searching for the missing.

"I'm present to accidental the United States -- the federation -- has your back," Biden told a assemblage successful Raleigh, North Carolina. "We're not leaving till you're backmost connected your feet completely."

Helene, which made landfall successful Florida's Big Bend portion Thursday nighttime arsenic a monolithic Category 4 hurricane, was the strongest hurricane to marque landfall successful the Big Bend connected record.

1.2 cardinal customers inactive without powerfulness successful immoderate confederate states

As betterment efforts from Hurricane Helene's catastrophic unit continue, 1.2 cardinal customers are inactive without powerfulness successful immoderate confederate states.

As of Wednesday astatine 12:30 p.m., 1,276,750 customers are without powerfulness crossed the South, according to poweroutage.us.

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The hardest-hit states are South Carolina with implicit 484,410 customers without power, North Carolina with implicit 343,632 customers without powerfulness and Georgia with implicit 354,418 customers without power.

Outages are besides reported successful Florida (40,724 customers), Virginia (40,184 customers) and West Virginia (13,382 customers).

Biden deploying up to 1,000 active-duty troops to enactment NC National Guard

President Joe Biden announced Wednesday helium has directed the deployment of "up to 1 1000 active-duty soldiers to reenforce the North Carolina National Guard." The announcement comes arsenic Biden volition question to South Carolina and North Carolina Wednesday to survey the impacts of Hurricane Helene.

"These soldiers volition velocity up the transportation of life-saving supplies of food, water, and medicine to isolated communities successful North Carolina -- they person the manpower and logistical capabilities to get this captious occupation done, and fast. They volition articulation hundreds of North Carolina National Guard members deployed nether State authorities successful enactment of the response," Biden said successful the statement.

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"Hurricane Helene has been a tempest of historical proportion. My bosom goes retired to everyone who has experienced unthinkable loss. We are present for you -- and we volition enactment present for arsenic agelong arsenic it takes," Biden added.

The White House information expanse says the soldiers volition "support the transportation of food, water, and different captious commodities," to impacted communities. The information expanse adds the deployment is effectual immediately. The soldiers are portion of the Infantry Battalion Task Force based successful Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and includes a Forward Support Company, according to the administration.

Bipartisan senators telephone connected Congress to code Hurricane Helene damage

In a associated missive released Tuesday, Senate leaders Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell and respective different senators connected some sides of the governmental aisle called connected Congress to conscionable pursuing the devastation of Hurricane Helene.

"Although the existent level of devastation is inactive unfolding, it is wide that Congress indispensable enactment to conscionable the unmet needs successful our states and code the scope and standard of demolition experienced by our constituents," the leaders wrote successful the letter.

The senators suggested Congress convene successful October to "ensure we person capable clip to enact authorities earlier the extremity of this calendar year."

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"Tens of millions of Americans were impacted by Hurricane Helene, and we look guardant to moving with you to supply alleviation to those impacted by this horrific storm," the senators wrote.

Help radical affected by Hurricane Helene. Your donation enables the Red Cross to hole for, respond to and assistance radical retrieve from this disaster. Donate present astatine redcross.org/abc.