Search for Hurricane Helene victims enters second week as death toll rises

The search for Hurricane Helene's victims entered its second week on Friday, with rescue teams and volunteers still trying to reach those cut off by the storm's destruction.

Sheriff Quentin Miller of Buncombe County, North Carolina, reassured residents at a press briefing on Thursday evening. He said: "We know these are hard times, but please know we're coming. We're coming to get you. We're coming to pick up our people."

Helene has been confirmed as the deadliest hurricane to strike the US mainland since Katrina in 2005, with a death toll of at least 215. The number of people still missing remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from dozens to hundreds.

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North Carolina accounts for approximately half of the fatalities, with additional losses reported in South Carolina and Georgia.

In Buncombe County, which encompasses Asheville, a major tourist destination and the area's largest city, the death count reached 72 by Thursday evening, according to Sheriff Miller. Despite the grim statistics, he expressed hope that many of the missing might still be found alive.

To those still unaccounted for, Miller said: "Your safety and well-being are our highest priority. And we will not rest until you are secure and that you are being cared for."

Now more than a week since the storm roared onto Florida’s Gulf Coast, lack of phone service and electricity continues to hinder efforts to contact the missing. That means search crews must trudge through the mountains to learn whether residents are safe.

In the Blue Ridge Mountains along North Carolina's Cane River, the Pensacola Volunteer Fire Department fought their way through dense woodland on Thursday,