ASHEVILLE, N.C. — In the wake of Hurricane Helene, millions of people across the southeast are struggling. The monster storm cut a devastating path, stretching more than 600 miles across several states, including Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. More than 100 people are dead and the death toll is expected to rise.
Meanwhile, at least five states are dealing with gas, food and water shortages and it's so difficult to reach some of the areas most impacted that officials are now airlifting supplies.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore authorized the mobilization of 12 Maryland Army National Guard soldiers, along with two helicopters and three firefighters from the Maryland Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team (MD-HART) to North Carolina to assist with rescues. Since their arrival, MD-HART crews said they have helped rescue at least 17 people and two pets, and continue to help those cut off by mudslides and damaged bridges.
National Guard soldiers also helped move first responders and thousands of pounds of cargo needed for rescue efforts.
"Our soldiers are well-trained to provide essential, lifesaving services to the communities impacted by the storm here in Maryland and in this situation, across state lines," said Maj. Gen. Janeen L. Birckhead, adjutant general for Maryland. " We are always ready to provide military support to civilian authorities and help our neighbors in need during a natural disaster. We send our sincere condolences to those families who have already lost loved ones due to the hurricane.”
Helene's heavy rains in the state's western mountains caused massive flooding and mudslides in the Asheville region, cutting off most communication and making the roads impassable.
Video posted online shows large portions of the city underwater.
More than 1,000 miles (1,610 kilometers) away in Texas, Jessica Drye Turner begged on Facebook on Friday for someone to rescue her family members stranded on their Asheville rooftop.
But in a follow-up message Saturday, Turner said the roof had collapsed before help arrived and her parents, both in their 70s, and her 6-year-old nephew had drowned.
“I cannot convey in words the sorrow, heartbreak and devastation my sisters and I are going through,” she wrote.
Jeff Muenstermann and his wife, Lisa, friends of Turner’s, told The Associated Press on Saturday they had spoken to Turner after she posted the initial plea for help. At her request, they messaged members of The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas, where they all attend, to pray for the family’s safety back in North Carolina.
“I just thought they were going to be rescued,” Jeff Muenstermann said. “I asked everybody to pray and they did. And then a couple hours later, her husband called me, completely distraught and said ... we lost them. They all drowned.”
D.C.-based nonprofit World Central Kitchen have also sent crews to North Carolina, Florida and elsewhere to help provide meals for those who need them.
"It's insane everywhere you look," said one member of the WCK relief team. The charity is using a helicopter to get food where it needs to be.