As floodwaters recede, uncertainty is rising in places like Asheville, North Carolina, one of the areas Helene hit hardest.
Some people are barely getting their first look at the damage — nearly a week after the storm hit.
Jamie Byrd, who owns an art gallery in Asheville, told Scripps News that there was about 5 feet of water in her space, causing at least $50,000 worth of damage.
"It's pretty devastating down here. The River Arts District has been hit very, very hard, and I think it's going to be difficult for a lot of us to recover from this," she said.
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The clean-up process is expected to take weeks if not months. Much of Asheville's infrastructure was destroyed or severely damaged in the storm. Complicating matters, power is scarce in the area.
"The River Arts District is a strong group of people and we are going to come together to help each other out," Byrd said.
Ahead of his visit to the state, President Joe Biden announced he approved the deployment of up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers to assist the North Carolina National Guard in the recovery efforts.
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"These soldiers will speed up the delivery of life-saving supplies of food, water, and medicine to isolated communities in North Carolina – they have the manpower and logistical capabilities to get this vital job done, and fast," President Biden said.
The president approved disaster declarations in states hit by Helene, which has freed up federal funds. The Biden Administration says more than $10 million in individual assistance has been provided to survivors of the storm.
