Devastation in North Carolina as Hurricane Helene claims 116 lives

Helene began as a hurricane – the strongest on record – hitting Florida's Big Bend before moving toward Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee.

Most deaths were confirmed in North and South Carolina, where Helene passed through as a tropical storm.

According to the BBC's US partner CBS News, the state of North Carolina has recorded at least 46 deaths, while the storm has claimed at least 27 lives in neighboring South Carolina.

According to Maj. Gen. Todd Hunt, the North Carolina National Guard rescued more than 119 people, including an infant. The largest rescue involved 41 people north of Asheville, he said.

At least 30 people have died in Buncombe County alone, officials said Sunday evening. Around 1,000 people are still missing in the district, where relatives are searching for relatives, some of whom have no cell phone or electricity connection.