A week after Helene smashed into the Southeast, power outages, water shortages and impassable roads stymie recovery

A week ago, Helene was plowing into Florida, thrashing cities and towns on the Gulf Coast while millions of people ahead of the hurricane’s path were dealing with rains that preceded even more rain. Forecasters warned of impacts that would be felt far inland.

A week ago, Helene was plowing into Florida, thrashing cities and towns on the Gulf Coast while millions of people ahead of the hurricane’s path were dealing with rains that preceded even more rain. Forecasters warned of impacts that would be felt far inland. In the Southeast, roads were covered with cars, not feet of water. Bridges were still up. The lights were still on. The town of Chimney Rock – home to a popular North Carolina state park, breathtaking views and iconic rock formation – was still looking forward to visitors. A week later, more than 190 people are dead across six states and those who survived are still in disbelief after the historic storm pummeled their homes and communities. Chimney Rock has been washed away, as have roads and bridges throughout the massive storm’s path. Survivors are pitching in for each other, bringing food and water, helping dig out and cut up knocked down trees. All are hoping for small victories, like getting their cell phone service back or finding a gas station that is open. More than a million customers remain in the dark, according to PowerOutage.us.Most are in the Carolinas, where “major portions of the power grid… were simply wiped away.” Helene’s swift floodwaters took out so many power poles and electric lines, infrastructure needs to be rebuilt before power is restored. In some Georgia counties and one in North Carolina, utilities say more than 90% of their customers are still in the dark. In one small South Georgia county, 99% of the homes and businesses are without electricity.