Drone footage shows extensive damage in North Carolina after Helene wreaked havoc

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — North Carolina is among the southeastern states devastated by Hurricane Helene last week.

Communities in Asheville and Charlotte looked nothing like they did before in drone video captured Sunday.

Aerial photos taken by Daniel Whittaker showed North Carolina residents suffering from the devastating storm.

Footage shot in Asheville showed the crisis unfolding on the ground as flooding continued along the French Broad River.

Most of the buildings were under water, large trees fell and other structures were destroyed. Debris scattered throughout Biltmore Village also covered the ground in places where the water had receded and that were once stores and streets. A line of vehicles just a few blocks long appeared to show people waiting for gas. Whittaker said some gas stations around Asheville were open.

On Monday, residents were still without power and without cell phone reception.

It's only been a few days since Helene reached the country, and more than 100 deaths were reported Monday, including 30 people in Buncombe County. Gov. Roy Cooper predicted the death toll would rise as rescuers and other emergency workers reached isolated areas due to collapsed roads, failing infrastructure and widespread flooding.

About 130 miles east of Asheville, neighborhoods in Charlotte remained flooded.

Most of the homes seen in Whittaker's drowning video showed flooded yards. The area is near the Catawba River, which appears to have overflowed into the area on Riverside Drive.

Charlotte is affected by flooding.

Whittaker's video provided a clearer picture of the damage caused by the storm after it ripped through the southeastern United States

Officials have pledged to bring more water, food and other supplies to flooded areas like North Carolina. Supplies were airlifted to the region surrounding the isolated city of Asheville. Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder promised she would provide the town with food and water by Monday.

President Joe Biden said he would visit areas affected by Hurricane Helene this week as long as it does not affect rescue and recovery efforts.

He described the impact of the storm on Sunday as “amazing” and said the government was giving states “everything we have” to help with their response to the storm.

Biden wanted to talk about the administration's response efforts in a statement from the White House on Monday.