At least 72 people have died in hard-hit Buncombe County, North Carolina, which encompasses Asheville, Sheriff Quentin Miller said Thursday. An aerial view of flood damage along the French Broad River in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on Oct.

A shipping container slammed into an electrical pole while floating debris was split in half during extreme, rising water in Asheville, North Carolina last week.

A week has passed since Hurricane Helene made landfall and the death toll continues to climb as areas devastated by the storm and its aftermath.

The city of Asheville is on the slow road to recovery. It's been exactly one week since we were in the thick of the storm, and the damage left behind is unexplainable. Buncombe County officials say 72 people have died in its county alone due to Hurricane Helene.