Death toll from Hurricane Helene rises to 227 as grim task of recovering bodies continues

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The death toll from Hurricane Helene inched up to 227 on Saturday as the grim task of recovering bodies continued more than a week after the monster storm ravaged the Southeast and killed people in six states.

Helene came ashore Sept. 26 as a Category 4 hurricane and carved a wide swath of destruction as it moved northward from Florida, washing away homes, destroying roads and knocking out electricity and cellphone service for millions.

The number of deaths stood at 225 on Friday; two more were recorded in South Carolina the following day. It was still unclear how many people were unaccounted for or missing, and the toll could rise even higher.

Helene is the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. since Katrina in 2005. About half the victims were in North Carolina, while dozens more were killed in Georgia and South Carolina. The city of Asheville, in the western mountains of North Carolina, was particularly battered.

North Carolinians so far have received more than $27 million in individual assistance approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said MaryAnn Tierney, a regional administrator for the agency. More than 83,000 people have registered for individual assistance, according to the office of Gov. Roy Cooper.

In Buncombe County, where Asheville is located, FEMA-approved assistance has surpassed $12 million for survivors, Tierney said Saturday during a news briefing.

“This is critical assistance that will help people with their immediate needs, as well as displacement assistance that helps them if they can’t stay in their home,” she said.

She encouraged residents impacted by the storm to register for disaster assistance.

“It is the first step in the recovery process,” she said. “We can provide immediate relief in terms of serious needs assistance to replace food, water, medicines, other life safety, critical items, as well as displacement assistance if you cannot stay in your home.”

Helene’s raging floodwaters shocked mountain towns hundreds of miles inland and far from where the storm made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast, including in the Tennessee mountains that Dolly Parton calls home.

The country music star has announced a $1 million donation to the Mountain Ways Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing immediate assistance to Hurricane Helene flood victims.

In addition, her East Tennessee businesses as well as the Dollywood Foundation are combining efforts, pledging to match her donation to Mountain Ways with a $1 million contribution.

Parton said she feels a close connection to the storm victims because so many of them “grew up in the mountains just like I did.”

“I can’t stand to see anyone hurting, so I wanted to do what I could to help after these terrible floods,” she said. “I hope we can all be a little bit of light in the world for our friends, our neighbors — even strangers — during this dark time they are experiencing.”

Walmart U.S. President and CEO John Furner said the company, including Sam’s Club and the Walmart Foundation, would increase its commitment and donate a total of $10 million to hurricane relief efforts.

In Newport, an eastern Tennessee town of about 7,000, residents continued cleaning up Saturday from the destruction caused by Helene's floodwaters.

Mud still clung to the basement walls of one Main Street funeral home. The ground-floor chapel of another nearby was being dried out, a painting of Jesus still hanging on the wall in an otherwise barren room.

Newport City Hall and its police department also took on water from the swollen Pigeon River. Some of the modest, one-story homes along its banks were destroyed, their walls crumbled and rooms exposed.

Farther east in unincorporated Del Rio, along a bend in the French Broad River, residents and volunteers toiled to clean up. The smell of wood hung in the air as people used chainsaws to cut through downed trees, and Bobcats beeped as they moved mangled sheet metal and other debris. Many homes sustained damage, including one that slid off its foundation.

Associated Press journalists Jeff Roberson in Newport, Tennessee; Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa; and Denise Lavoie in Richmond, Virginia, contributed.

A person clears debris left in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Del Rio, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Contractor Joshua Taylor stands in the basement of a funeral home that was flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene while working to clean up the building Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Newport, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Workers helping with clean up efforts stop for lunch under the shade of a tree as a building destroyed by Hurricane Helene is seen in the background Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Newport, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Paul Shaver looks a a building destroyed in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Newport, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Air movers circulate the air in an effort to dry out the chapel inside Costner-Maloy Funeral Home Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, which was flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Newport, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Debris left in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene is cleared Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Del Rio, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Contractor Joshua Taylor walks up stairs covered in mud leading to the basement of a funeral home that was flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene while working to clean up the building Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Newport, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Debris left in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene is cleared Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Del Rio, Tenn. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Kurtis Rourke threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns to help No. 23 Indiana stay unbeaten with a 41-24 victory over Northwestern on Saturday.

The Hoosiers (6-0) also had 158 yards on the ground with Justice Ellison (68 yards) and Ty Son Lawton (52 yards) each having a rushing TD. Elijah Sarratt had 135 yards on seven catches. The Hoosiers matched their best start to the season with the six wins, equaling the 1967 squad.

Jack Lausch had a bounce-back performance for Northwestern, throwing for 243 yards and two scores. Bryce Kirtz and A.J. Henning were his favorite targets, combining for 195 yards on 16 catches.

Following a slow start, both teams combined for five consecutive scoring drives to end the first half. Indiana took a 17-10 lead into the break, led by Rourke’s 196 yards. Miles Cross made a toe-tapping catch in the back of the end zone to break a 7-7 tie and put the Hoosiers in front for good.

Henning caught two touchdowns in the second half, including a two-yard screen pass that cut the deficit to 27-24. However, Northwestern’s defense could not stop Indiana from marching down the field for touchdowns on consecutive drives and the Hoosiers put the game away.

The nation’s No. 3 scoring offense entering Saturday broke the 40-point mark for the fifth time this season, putting up over 500 yards of total offense with no turnovers. Rourke enjoyed his third 300-yard performance in the last four games, while the Hoosiers averaged 4.9 yards per carry on the ground prior to the final drive. Indiana had the 11th-worst offense in 2023, scoring 22.2 points per outing.

The Wildcats held Indiana to a turnover on downs and punt to open the game, but Northwestern’s defense gave up seven straight scoring drives (five touchdown, two field goal) to essentially seal the game away. The main culprit was missed tackling, namely on a 52-yard catch-and-run by Ke-Shawn Williams, who escaped four Northwestern defenders. Indiana’s 41 points were the most allowed by the Wildcats in their five games played.

Indiana: The Hoosier defense struggled to stop Northwestern at times, but Indiana’s calling card has been its offense, which continued its dominant start to the season. Rourke excelled and was aided by a strong ground attack.

Northwestern: Despite the loss, the Wildcats can find optimism in giving 6-0 Indiana one of its toughest challenges yet. Lausch rebounded well from a disastrous game in Washington where he completed less than 30% of his passes, showcasing his abilities both through the air and on the ground.

Indiana: The Hoosiers have a bye week before hosting Nebraska on Oct. 19.

Northwestern: The Wildcats have a short week and will head to College Park to take on Maryland next Friday.

No. 22 Louisville fell to SMU on Saturday morning, giving Indiana a chance to rise in the polls. However, No. 9 Missouri was upset by No. 25 Texas A&M, meaning the Aggies have a good chance of leap-frogging the Hoosiers.

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Northwestern running back Joseph Himon II., right, runs with the ball against Indiana defensive lineman Mikail Kamara during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Evanston, Ill., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)