Hurricane Helene has dealt a staggering blow to states across the Southeast. Now regarded as one of the deadliest storms in recent history, Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 hurricane late last week, tearing through the region with catastrophic flooding, widespread power outages, and extensive destruction. Forecasters initially predicted the hardest hit would be coastal areas, but it was inland regions of North Carolina in particular that suffered the worst devastation, as reported by the Associated Press.

Asheville, a city nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, endured a particularly heartbreaking aftermath. Known for its vibrant arts scene and outdoor tourism, the city faced unprecedented flooding and mudslides that followed Helene’s heavy rains. Over 30 inches of rain transformed idyllic landscapes into disaster zones. Floodwaters destroyed hundreds of homes, and sinkholes and debris blocked roadways. The rising waters claimed over 50 lives in Asheville alone.

“Communities were wiped off the map,” North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said in a post-storm briefing on Tuesday.

Emergency response teams continue to work tirelessly, but washed-out bridges and damaged infrastructure have isolated many residents. Search and rescue teams, using helicopters and cadaver dogs, press on to locate survivors. The death toll in the southeast has already exceeded 150, and officials warn that the number may increase as the full extent of the disaster becomes known.

Helene’s destructive path also ravaged South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia, where thousands of people were left without power, food, or water for days. President Biden plans to visit the region to assess the damage, and federal aid efforts have ramped up, delivering millions of meals and liters of water to the hardest-hit areas.

For Asheville, once seen as a “climate haven,” the storm served as a grim reminder of the unpredictability and ferocity of climate change, according to the New York Times. The Southeast now faces a long road to recovery, struggling with both the physical destruction and the emotional toll the disaster has left behind.