At least 157 people have died in six states as a result of the storm, and many are still unaccounted for. As Thursday began in the mountain towns of western North Carolina, it remained a challenge to get through washed-out roads and across crumbled bridges — meaning crews were still trying to reach remote areas devastated by Helene.

Election officials in Georgia, North Carolina and Florida are working quickly to ensure voters can still securely cast early ballots, despite the devastating storm impacts of Hurricane Helene that have in some cases left them without power,