The death toll is now up to nearly 60 in Buncombe County alone. Sheriff Quentin Miller held a news conference Wednesday and confirmed that 57 people had died in Buncombe County to that point.

Helene’s death count in North Carolina is by no means final. But Lau was one of dozens known to have been killed after the hurricane’s powerful remnants reached Western North Carolina, with more fatal tragedies yet to be reported or even discovered.

At least 30 people have died in the area around Asheville, North Carolina. “Those communities no longer resemble what they were a week ago,” one official said.

Relief efforts continue in Asheville and the Western North Carolina area where a major disaster due to Tropical Storm Helene has left communities devastated, roads impassable and thousands without power.

The Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller said four additional deaths have been confirmed in Buncombe County, raising the total to 61.

The death toll from Hurricane Helene continues to climb as rescue efforts persist across the Southeast. Hard-hit regions, including parts of western North Carolina, are receiving aid from various states as emergency crews work to reach isolated communities devastated by catastrophic flooding.