Asheville residents battling 'apocalyptic' aftermath of Hurricane Helene after deadly flooding, landslides

One Asheville, North Carolina nonmigratory sounded the alarm arsenic his assemblage battles the devastation near by Hurricane Helene, detailing the "apocalyptic weekend" arsenic the decease toll continues to emergence portion millions are near without powerfulness and water. 

"It's been an incredibly apocalyptic weekend for each of america here," Asheville nonmigratory Gregory Harrison said. "Almost nary gas. There is astir nary compartment service. There's constricted power. There is constricted food. There are radical who are trying to find potable h2o to provender their families, to person h2o for their kids."

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Officials successful Asheville are inactive trying to rescue residents who person been trapped by the historical flooding implicit the weekend, which has near galore without entree to power, moving h2o and compartment service. 

As of Sunday morning, the North Carolina National Guard (NCNG) activated much than 500 soldiers and airmen and much than 200 vehicles and aircraft, including hoist and exigency aviation assets arsenic good arsenic high-water effect vehicles.

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 28: Heavy rains from hurricane Helene caused grounds flooding and harm  on September 28, 2024 successful Asheville, North Carolina. Hurricane Helene made landfall successful Florida's Big Bend connected Thursday nighttime with winds up to 140 mph and tempest surges that killed astatine slightest 42 radical successful respective states.  (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images))

The NCNG reported that it completed 16 aerial missions, resulting successful the rescue of 119 citizens and 11 pets. It said the largest azygous ngo saw the rescue of 41 radical northbound of Asheville successful Bumcombe County.

"Our aerial assets person moved much than 34,000 pounds of cargo, including food, water, and aesculapian supplies to distribute. In the past 48 hours, we person been augmented by unit and aerial assets from Connecticut, Maryland, Ohio, Iowa, Florida, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania," the station continued from NCNG.

Buncombe County communications manager Lillian Govus urged radical successful surrounding areas to debar coming to the affected communities to maximize hunt and rescue efforts. 

"Right now, we request radical to not travel here," Govus told Lawrence Jones. "We are inactive successful an progressive hunt and rescue phase. We person progressive flooding now. Like you said, it volition instrumentality conscionable a small spot of rainfall and we'll person much landslides, much mudslides."

"One of our interstates, I-40, which is the main interstate that takes you each the mode to the formation from Asheville, that interstate is closed due to the fact that the apical of a upland has really slid down and covered that full interstate," she continued. "We person a small constrictive pathway, and that is conscionable for our exigency vehicles."

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Govus said her assemblage is nary longer recognizable aft the deadly storm. 

"I unrecorded retired successful Black Mountain. What is determination present does not lucifer thing of the assemblage wherever I lived before," Govus said. "Homes are wholly gone. Power lines are destroyed. The poles are snapped successful fractional and dangling connected different places."

"Houses are wholly washed away. We don't person moving water, and truthful that's a truly large nationalist wellness situation for america close now," she continued. 

Appalachian State University pupil Laci Hentschel said she was 1 of the fortunate residents who has power, h2o and compartment service, but said she knows radical who mislaid everything following Helene's devastation. 

"My flat was luckily 1 of the ones that we're amended off, truthful we person power, h2o and Wi-Fi," Hentschel told Todd Piro during "Fox & Friends First" connected Monday. "However, the h2o is inactive undrinkable, but sadly, it's conscionable truly bittersweet to spot each of my chap mountaineers that… their apartments conscionable didn't fare arsenic good successful each this weather."

"I cognize radical that mislaid everything they person and are present trying to get backmost connected their feet," she continued. "It's conscionable truly bittersweet to spot each of that, but I'm gladsome that our assemblage tin travel unneurotic and assistance each different up and bash what we tin for each different successful this clip of need."

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Another Asheville resident, who owns an creation workplace that was luckily spared, said she moved to North Carolina aft Hurricane Ian successful hopes of evading different catastrophic storm. 

"I came from Florida aft Hurricane Ian. I thought this is the country to beryllium harmless and this is not safe," she said. "They said this… could happen, but it was hard to believe," she continued. 

On Sunday, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra declared a public wellness exigency (PHE) for North Carolina to code the wellness impacts of Hurricane Helene.

The nationalist wellness exigency declarations followed President Biden’s emergency declarations for Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Public wellness exigency declarations springiness the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ wellness attraction providers and suppliers greater flexibility successful gathering the exigency wellness needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

Fox News' Stepheny Price contributed to this report.