Raging floods and mudslides unleashed by the remnants of Hurricane Helene have dealt an “unprecedented tragedy” in the mountains of western North Carolina, leaving at least 37 people dead in the region and communities struggling to cope without water,

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.

At least 105 people have died nationwide, as officials airdrop supplies to devastated areas of the US south-east.