The death toll rises as rescue crews respond to Hurricane Helene's devastation

The death toll rises as rescue crews respond to Hurricane Helene's devastation 
NPR Network; by Emma Bowman; 9/29/24, 4:35pm 
As rescue teams continued to respond in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s destruction in the Southeast U.S. and southern Appalachia on Sunday, the death toll continued to climb. Hundreds remained missing across the region. At least 64 people were killed across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, The Associated Press reported. Many people drowned after not heeding evacuation orders; others were killed in their homes and cars by falling trees and road signs. At least two Georgians were killed when a tornado picked up their car. Large portions of the region remained in darkness with power still knocked out to more than 2 million customers in five states on Sunday evening, nearly three days after Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region.
An important note from our Publisher and Editor: Click here for a real-time map of multi-state power outages spread across FL, GA, SC, NC, and VA, linked from the Asheville (NC) Citizen Times. We are looking for (and asking for) stories about how the storm impacted hospices--staff and patients--and opportunities to assist.