Hurricane Helene made landfall late Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane and has left significant destruction in its path.
The storm left people stranded, without shelter, and awaiting rescue in the U.S. Southeast. As of Sunday, at least 64 people have died and several million are still without power.
Heavy rains in North Carolina’s western mountains have caused massive flooding and mudslides in the Asheville region. The storm cut off most communication and made the roads impassable, according to the Associated Press.
Helene is being called a “catastrophic natural disaster” and agencies in Michigan are sending help. Michigan Humane sent a team to North Carolina to provide aid and support to people and pets impacted.
“These guys train in water rescue, compromised structures, collapsed structure, swift water, flood water, all that stuff that could possibly happen during an incident like we’re seeing in the Southeast right now,” Michigan Humane president Matt Pepper said.
Also answering the call for help, is the Michigan State Police. The agency’s 19-member rescue team left Thursday for a 9-day operation. They will conduct missions including water rescues and flood response operations to reports of people trapped.
---> How Helene became the near-perfect storm to bring widespread destruction across the South