As waters rose and engulfed their homes, individuals faced unimaginable situations: a father found himself adrift in his Jeep, a teacher clung to a mattress repurposed as a makeshift raft while her house was swept downstream, and a man called for help from the precarious edge of his apartment’s balcony.
These heart-wrenching tales are just a glimpse into the plight of the hundreds still unaccounted for in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which has left a trail of destruction across the Southeast.
With a devastating toll that has rendered Helene the deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland in nearly two decades, the confirmed death count has tragically risen to at least 213 across six states as of Friday.
Families of the missing cling to hope, desperately wishing that their loved ones won’t be added to the ever-growing list of casualties.
As search efforts intensified on Friday, rescue crews navigated treacherous conditions, from washed-out roads and collapsed bridges to swollen rivers and submerged towns. These brave responders face ongoing challenges, including persistent issues with cellular service that complicate their missions to reach those in distress.
The exact number of missing persons remains uncertain, as FEMA collaborates with state and local authorities to ascertain the total in Helene’s aftermath. Administrator Deanne Criswell confirmed this ongoing effort during an interview with CNN’s Jim Acosta on Wednesday.
In the meantime, anxious family members and friends are actively searching for their missing loved ones, often turning to social media for assistance. “How do we get help finding my brother? He’s missing,” one concerned individual posted on the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. Similar messages from distressed relatives have flooded social media platforms over the past few days.
As of Thursday night, more than 200 individuals in Buncombe County were reported unaccounted for, with the death toll reaching 72, according to Sheriff Quentin Miller. North Carolina has suffered the highest fatalities so far, with 106 lives lost.
Here are some of the individuals whose families are still searching for them after the devastation caused by Helene:
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