Rescuers struggled on Saturday (Sep 28) with washed-out bridges and debris-strewn roads in the search for survivors of devastating Storm Helene, which killed at least 63 people across five states and caused massive power outages.

Rescuers struggled on Saturday (Sep 28) with washed-out bridges and debris-strewn roads in the search for survivors of devastating Storm Helene, which killed at least 63 people across five states and caused massive power outages. Helene slammed into Florida Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane and surged north, gradually weakening but leaving in its wake toppled trees, downed power lines and mudslide-wrecked homes. Federal emergencies were declared in six states -- Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee -- with more than 800 personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) deployed. Now classified as a "post-tropical cyclone", the remnants of the storm are expected to continue inundating the Ohio Valley and central Appalachians through Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). In affected communities across the eastern coast and midwest, storm victims and volunteers toting trash bags, mops and hammers tried to repair what they could and clean up the rest. "There's only a couple businesses open. They have limited supply. So I'm just worried about families that have kids and stuff like that, getting somewhere to stay and have something to eat," said Steven Mauro, a resident of Valdosta, Georgia. At least 24 people died in South Carolina, 17 in Georgia, 11 in Florida, 10 in North Carolina and one in Virginia, according to local authorities and media tallied by AFP. The National Weather Service said conditions would "continue to improve today following the catastrophic flooding over the past two days." But it warned of possible "long-duration power outages." "Main issue is the electrical power," said another man from Valdosta who declined to give his name. "With the whole town down, the traffic lights are out. So driving around... people should just stay home." More than 2.6 million customers were still without electricity across 10 states from Florida in the southeast to Indiana in the midwest as of early Sunday morning, according to tracker poweroutage.us. Watch | Hurricane Helene Aftermath: Destruction and chaos × 'It breaks my heart' Helene blew into Florida's northern Gulf shore with powerful winds of 140 miles (225 kilometres) per hour. Even as it weakened into a post-tropical cyclone, it has wreaked havoc. Record levels of flooding threatened to break several dams, but Tennessee emergency officials said Saturday that the Nolichucky Dam -- which had been close to breaching -- was no longer in danger of giving way and people downriver could return home. Massive flooding was reported in Asheville, in western North Carolina. Governor Ray Cooper called it "one of the worst storms in modern history" to hit his state. There were reports of remote towns in the Carolina mountains without power or cell service, their roads washed away or buried by mudslides. In Cedar Key, an island city of 700 people off Florida's Gulf Coast, several pastel-coloured wooden homes were destroyed by record storm surges and ferocious winds. "I've lived here my whole life, and it breaks my heart to see it. We've not really been able to catch a break," said Gabe Doty, a Cedar Key official, referring to two other hurricanes in the past year. In South Carolina, the dead included two firefighters, officials said. Georgia's 17 deaths included an emergency responder, according to state officials. In the Tennessee town of Erwin, more than 50 patients and staff trapped on a hospital roof by surging floodwaters had to be rescued by helicopters. Also read | Hurricane Helene: Disaster in five US states, millions of homes without power 'Overwhelming' damage In a statement Saturday, President Joe Biden called Helene's devastation "overwhelming." Biden was briefed by FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell and Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall on "the tragic loss of life across the region," the White House said. Criswell, who went to Florida on Saturday to survey damage, will visit Georgia on Sunday and North Carolina on Monday. September has been an unusually wet month around the world, with scientists linking some extreme weather events to human-caused global warming. The North Atlantic hurricane season runs from the beginning of June to the end of November, with most of the severe storms historically forming around the end of August or beginning of September. Forecasters are carefully watching two more named storm systems expected next week: Joyce and Hurricane Isaac. Isaac is expected to weaken into a powerful post-tropical cyclone by Sunday night or early Monday, while Joyce is expected to be a tropical storm for a couple more days, according to the NHC. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Over 60 dead in Hurricane Helene's wake; massive power outages reported across 5 US states

The "extremely dangerous"&nbsp;Hurricane&nbsp;Helene which landed in the US state of Florida on Thursday, causing&nbsp;life-threatening flooding in Atlanta and the Carolinas have taken lives of at least 22 people. Meanwhile, more than 3.5 million homes and businesses remained without power from Florida to the Carolinas and Virginia.

The "extremely dangerous"&nbsp;Hurricane&nbsp;Helene made landfall in the US state of Florida on Thursday, with officials warning of "unsurvivable" conditions and a potentially catastrophic storm surge high enough to swamp a two-story house.

Helene is now a tropical storm with winds of 70 mph as it crosses over central Georgia, according to&nbsp;the National Hurricane Center.&nbsp;

More than a million people were without power and roads were already flooded ahead of what is expected to be one of the largest Gulf of Mexico storms in decades.

Fast-moving Helene strengthened to an "extremely dangerous" Category 4&nbsp;hurricane&nbsp;Thursday, with the eye hitting near the town of Perry at approximately 11:10 pm local time (0310 GMT Friday), the US National&nbsp;Hurricane&nbsp;Center said.

It was packing winds of 140 miles (225 kilometres) per hour as it passed over the Gulf's warm waters and began hitting the Big Bend area south of Tallahassee.

"EVERYONE along the Florida Big Bend coast is at risk of potentially catastrophic storm surge," the NHC said on social media.

Tampa and Tallahassee airports have closed, with parts of St Petersburg, downtown Tampa, Sarasota, Treasure Island and other cities on Florida's west coast already flooded.

About 1,036,553 homes and businesses were without power, according to tracking site PowerOutage.us.

"We're expecting to see a storm surge inundation of 15 to 20 feet above ground level," NHC director Mike Brennan said. "That's up to the top of a second story building. Again, a really unsurvivable scenario is going to play out here in this portion of the Florida coastline."

The accompanying waves "can destroy houses, move cars, and that water level is going to rise very quickly," Brennan added.&nbsp;

US President Joe Biden urged people to heed official evacuation warnings.

"I urge everyone in and near the path of Helene to listen to local officials and follow evacuation warnings," he said. "Take this seriously, and be safe."

<h2>'I'm stuck with them'</h2>

Authorities in Florida's Taylor County asked residents who did not act on mandatory evacuation warnings to write their names on their bodies with permanent marker, to aid in identification if they are killed.

In Alligator Point, a coastal town on a picturesque peninsula in the storm's path, David Wesolowski was taking no chances.

"I just came to button up a few things before it gets too windy," the 37-year-old real estate agent told AFP as he boarded up his house on stilts.

"If it stays on course, this is going to look different afterwards, that's for sure," he said.

Patrick Riickert refused to budge from his small wooden house in Crawfordville, a town of 5,000 people a few miles inland.

Most residents have bolted, but Riickert, his wife and five grandchildren were "not going anywhere," the 58-year-old insisted.&nbsp;

"I am going to hunker down" and ride out the&nbsp;hurricane, as he did in 2018 when deadly&nbsp;Hurricane&nbsp;Michael, a Category 5 mega storm, blew through the Florida panhandle.

At a gas station in Panacea, John Luper said he was reluctantly staying put because his mother and brother refused to flee to higher ground.

"They're not going to leave," he said, filling jerry cans with fuel. "I'm stuck with them"

The NHC warned of up to 20 inches (51 cm) of rain in some spots and potentially life-threatening flooding, as well as numerous landslides across the southern Appalachians.&nbsp;

The National Weather Service said the region could be hit extremely hard, with floods not seen in more than a century.

"This will be one of the most significant weather events to happen in the western portions of the area in the modern era," it warned.

Tornado&nbsp;warnings went out across northern Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.

More than 55 million Americans were under some form of weather alert or warning from&nbsp;Hurricane&nbsp;Helene.

<h2>'Multi-state event'</h2>

"This is going to be a multi-state event with the potential for significant impacts from Florida all the way to Tennessee," Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters.

Vice President Kamala Harris said the White House was watching.

"The President and I, of course, are monitoring the case and the situation closely, and&nbsp;we urge everyone who is watching at this very moment to take this storm very seriously," she told reporters.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis mobilised the National Guard and ordered thousands of personnel to ready for search-and-rescue operations.&nbsp;

He warned that the powerful storm would be dangerous and urged everyone to take precautions.

"We can't control how strong this&nbsp;hurricane&nbsp;is going to get. We can't control the track of the&nbsp;hurricane, but what you can control is what you can do to put yourself in the best chance to be able to ride this out in a way that's going to be safe," DeSantis said.

Helene could become the most powerful&nbsp;hurricane&nbsp;to hit the United States in over a year -- and almost certainly the biggest, at nearly 500 miles across.

Scientists say climate change likely plays a role in the rapid intensification of hurricanes, because there is more energy in warmer oceans for them to feed on.&nbsp;

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

The "extremely dangerous" Hurricane Helene which landed in the US state of Florida on Thursday, causing life-threatening flooding in Atlanta and the Carolinas have taken lives of at least 22 people.

The "extremely dangerous" Hurricane Helene which landed in the US state of Florida on Thursday, causing life-threatening flooding in Atlanta and the Carolinas have taken lives of at least 22 people. Meanwhile, more than 3.5 million homes and businesses remained without power from Florida to the Carolinas and Virginia. The "extremely dangerous" Hurricane Helene made landfall in the US state of Florida on Thursday, with officials warning of "unsurvivable" conditions and a potentially catastrophic storm surge high enough to swamp a two-story house. Helene is now a tropical storm with winds of 70 mph as it crosses over central Georgia, according to the National Hurricane Center. More than a million people were without power and roads were already flooded ahead of what is expected to be one of the largest Gulf of Mexico storms in decades. Fast-moving Helene strengthened to an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 hurricane Thursday, with the eye hitting near the town of Perry at approximately 11:10 pm local time (0310 GMT Friday), the US National Hurricane Center said. It was packing winds of 140 miles (225 kilometres) per hour as it passed over the Gulf's warm waters and began hitting the Big Bend area south of Tallahassee. "EVERYONE along the Florida Big Bend coast is at risk of potentially catastrophic storm surge," the NHC said on social media. Tampa and Tallahassee airports have closed, with parts of St Petersburg, downtown Tampa, Sarasota, Treasure Island and other cities on Florida's west coast already flooded. About 1,036,553 homes and businesses were without power, according to tracking site PowerOutage.us. "We're expecting to see a storm surge inundation of 15 to 20 feet above ground level," NHC director Mike Brennan said. "That's up to the top of a second story building. Again, a really unsurvivable scenario is going to play out here in this portion of the Florida coastline." The accompanying waves "can destroy houses, move cars, and that water level is going to rise very quickly," Brennan added. US President Joe Biden urged people to heed official evacuation warnings. "I urge everyone in and near the path of Helene to listen to local officials and follow evacuation warnings," he said. "Take this seriously, and be safe." 'I'm stuck with them' Authorities in Florida's Taylor County asked residents who did not act on mandatory evacuation warnings to write their names on their bodies with permanent marker, to aid in identification if they are killed. In Alligator Point, a coastal town on a picturesque peninsula in the storm's path, David Wesolowski was taking no chances. "I just came to button up a few things before it gets too windy," the 37-year-old real estate agent told AFP as he boarded up his house on stilts. "If it stays on course, this is going to look different afterwards, that's for sure," he said. Patrick Riickert refused to budge from his small wooden house in Crawfordville, a town of 5,000 people a few miles inland. Most residents have bolted, but Riickert, his wife and five grandchildren were "not going anywhere," the 58-year-old insisted. "I am going to hunker down" and ride out the hurricane, as he did in 2018 when deadly Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 mega storm, blew through the Florida panhandle. At a gas station in Panacea, John Luper said he was reluctantly staying put because his mother and brother refused to flee to higher ground. "They're not going to leave," he said, filling jerry cans with fuel. "I'm stuck with them" The NHC warned of up to 20 inches (51 cm) of rain in some spots and potentially life-threatening flooding, as well as numerous landslides across the southern Appalachians. The National Weather Service said the region could be hit extremely hard, with floods not seen in more than a century. "This will be one of the most significant weather events to happen in the western portions of the area in the modern era," it warned. Tornado warnings went out across northern Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. More than 55 million Americans were under some form of weather alert or warning from Hurricane Helene. 'Multi-state event' "This is going to be a multi-state event with the potential for significant impacts from Florida all the way to Tennessee," Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters. Vice President Kamala Harris said the White House was watching. "The President and I, of course, are monitoring the case and the situation closely, and we urge everyone who is watching at this very moment to take this storm very seriously," she told reporters. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis mobilised the National Guard and ordered thousands of personnel to ready for search-and-rescue operations. He warned that the powerful storm would be dangerous and urged everyone to take precautions. "We can't control how strong this hurricane is going to get. We can't control the track of the hurricane, but what you can control is what you can do to put yourself in the best chance to be able to ride this out in a way that's going to be safe," DeSantis said. Helene could become the most powerful hurricane to hit the United States in over a year -- and almost certainly the biggest, at nearly 500 miles across. Scientists say climate change likely plays a role in the rapid intensification of hurricanes, because there is more energy in warmer oceans for them to feed on. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

US: Over 20 dead after Hurricane Helene hits Georgia, three million remain without power

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Over 60 dead in Hurricane Helene's wake; massive power outages reported across 5 US states

US: Over 20 dead after Hurricane Helene hits Georgia, three million remain without power