Hurricane Helene death toll 'may be up to 600'

According to homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall, the death toll from Hurricane Helene could reach as many as 600.

– The current data we have indicate that there may be up to 600 deaths. But we don't have any confirmation of this information. We know that 600 people are dead or missing,” Sherwood-Randall said.

As CNN reported on Wednesday, according to reports so far, 162 people in six southeastern states have died as a result of the destruction caused by the hurricane, including dozens in flooded North Carolina.

Helene hit Florida on Thursday as a powerful Category 4 hurricane with winds exceeding 220 kilometers per hour. Entire communities are underwater in western North Carolina, and at least 57 people have died in Buncombe County.

Power is gradually being restored in the affected areas, but over 1.4 million energy customers are still without electricity. South Carolina remains the state with the most customers without power. On Tuesday evening, there were over 500,000 of them.

The White House announced that over 50,000 employees were dispatched to hurricane-affected states to assist with hurricane relief and recovery efforts, including restoring electricity supplies. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is bringing generators and other equipment to the Carolinas.

Among the federal workers providing assistance were a thousand employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. So far, they have distributed over 7.1 million meals, 6.5 million liters of water, 150 generators and over 200,000. tarpaulins, the White House announced.

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden plans to visit North Carolina, and Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Georgia to assess hurricane damage.