North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Sunday at least 11 people have died in the state as Tropical Storm Helene caused widespread destruction to local communities.
Speaking at a press conference Sunday, Cooper said officials expected the death toll to rise as rescue efforts continue.
“We know there will be more” deaths, Cooper said.
He asked locals to avoid driving on roads to allow for emergency services to reach those in need.
“Many people are cut off because the roads are impassable,” Cooper said.
More than 50 search teams have dispersed across the region to look for people stranded by the storm, The Associated Press reported. Supplies are also getting airlifted to the region around Asheville as a result of the road closures.
Landslides and flooding forced the closure of Interstate 40 and other roads, isolating Western North Carolina. The Associated Press reported Helene has brought the worst flooding North Carolina has seen in a century.
The storm has devastated much of the South.
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida on Thursday night as a Category 4 storm, with winds up to 140 mph. The storm system moved through Georgia, and then, as a weakened storm, through North and South Carolina and Tennessee, which saw torrential rains and tremendous flooding.
More than 60 people have died from the storm since it initially made landfall.
Cooper also announced Sunday that President Biden has granted his request for a federal major disaster declaration, which will allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency to speed up deliveries of federal assistance to the states and help reimburse local governments and state agencies for the costs to repair some of the damage to infrastructure.
“The people in western North Carolina are hurting from this devastating storm and we are all working to get resources to people as fast as we can,” Cooper said in a press release. “We have deployed rescue teams, transportation crews, water, mobile kitchens and more. This is going to be a long-term recovery and this federal declaration will help us respond.”
The Associated Press contributed.