The US warns that the death toll from Hurricane Helene could rise to 600

The head of national security United States, Liz Sherwood-Randall, said this Monday that the death toll could rise to 600 by floods caused by the hurricane Helene in the southeast of USA.

“It appears that up to 600 lives could have been lost.”Liz Sherwood-Randall told reporters. “We know that there are 600 missing people,” he added.

The hurricane Helene, which until now has caused at least 118 dead in the southeastern United Statesbecame this Monday important issue of the electoral campaignforcing the Democrats to reject the accusations for the management of the catastrophe.

On Monday, rescuers were still searching survivors and bringing food to residents affected by the floods, the power outages and the blocked roads. In the southern Appalachians, Helene caused flash flooding with significant damage.

In North Carolinathe death toll amounts to at least 49; at least 25 people also died in South Carolina, 25 in Georgia, 14 in Florida, four in Tennessee and one in Virginia, according to a report prepared by AFP with statements from local authorities.

As of Monday afternoon, more than 1.7 million homes and companies they followed no electricity serviceaccording to poweroutage.us.

With cell phone service interrupted in much of the region, the more than 600 missing people do not have the means to communicate. “God willing, they are alive, but there is no way to contact them,” President Biden said.

Joe Biden blamed climate change for Hurricane Helene

Helene made landfall Thursday afternoon near Tallahassee, Florida’s capital.as a category 4 hurricane – on a scale of 5 – with winds of 225 km/h. It was later downgraded to a cyclone. posttropical, but it left a desolate landscape in the region.

Biden this Monday attributed the devastation of the hurricane Helene to the climate change. “Absolutely, positively, unequivocally, yes, yes, yes,” he said. to journalists who asked if the destruction was due to the climate crisis.

Scientists maintain that Climate change likely plays a role in rapid hurricane intensificationbecause there is more energy in the warmer oceans for them to feed on.

County Sheriff’s Office Pinellas, in Florida, published a list of dead found there so far, almost all deceased in their own homes. Most appeared to have drowned, he said, and others were buried under the rubble.

The governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, described the storm as a “400 kilometer wide tornado”. His North Carolina counterpart, Roy Cooper, He said Monday that hundreds of roads had been destroyed and many communities “wiped off the map.” “This is an unprecedented storm,” he told reporters.. “We are working to increase supplies. The emotional and physical toll here is indescribable.”