Storm kills at least 89 people while flooding and massive power outages devastate the southeast

Days after Helene passed through Asheville, North Carolina, streets are still flooded, downed power lines and trees are blocking some roads and cell service is largely non-existent. Residents had to wait in line for hours for $15 worth of gas.

In one neighborhood, a dog park with picnic tables, a basketball court and a running track still stand in the water. As well as a mobile home parking space at the end of the park.

“This is where people took their daily walk with their kids and dogs,” said Chante Hooks, 46, who lives around the corner from the park.

Their home was not damaged and although they lost water, they did not lose power, she said.

Hooks said the now-flooded park would overflow when it rained, but it never got that bad. “This is a disaster,” she said.

Hooks, who was born in Asheville, said the last natural disaster she experienced in the city was a snowstorm in the 1990s when the snow reached the tops of doors.

“It wasn’t that bad, though,” she said.