Helene aftermath: More than 370K still without power

ATLANTA — Hundreds of thousands of Georgians remain without power Monday after Helene barreled through the state, causing catastrophic damage and at least 17 deaths.

More than 370,000 people still have no power across the state after Helene entered South Georgia as a Category 2 hurricane around 1 a.m. Friday. Homes were destroyed, and neighborhoods were flooded. Operations at dozens of United States Postal Service facilities throughout Georgia have also been disrupted.

While Atlanta escaped the brunt of the damage, flooding issues have persisted after the city experienced the most rainfall it’s seen over a 48-hour period since the 19th century.

On Monday, former President Donald Trump will visit hard-struck Valdosta and plans to talk to local officials about recovery efforts while assisting with the delivery of emergency supplies.

At the same time, some local officials in storm-ravaged South Georgia privately worried that Trump’s visit could delay their efforts to restore power to the region and repair damage. Others welcomed the attention.

Other Georgia leaders have already toured the damage. Gov. Brian Kemp, Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton, visited Valdosta on Saturday.

On Monday, Kemp and Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock are set to travel to Augusta.

Sunday night, President Joe Biden spoke with Kemp by phone. Valdosta Mayor Scott Matheson, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Taylor County, Florida Emergency Management Director John Louk were also on the call.

On the call, Biden was updated on the recovery efforts and shared how his administration will continue supporting impacted communities.

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