Photos show catastrophic damage from Helene in western North Carolina and Georgia

After hitting Florida’s Gulf Coast late last week as a Category 4 hurricane, Helene raged across the Southeast, unleashing historic rainfall and flooding in parts of Georgia and the Carolinas and leaving dozens dead and millions without power.

Western North Carolina was particularly hard hit as Helene flooded rivers, washed away roads and disrupted communications and cell service, complicating rescue efforts. In Buncombe County, North Carolina alone, there were at least 30 storm-related deaths and hundreds of people were reported missing. Floodwaters from the Swannanoa River inundated Asheville, North Carolina, causing catastrophic damage. The river crested at 26.1 feet at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, nearly 6 feet above the record.

In Valdosta, Georgia, 100-year-old trees fell on rooftops and several downtown buildings were destroyed. “It looks like hell,” one longtime resident told NBC News.

Photos from across the region show the devastation Helene left behind.