Hurricane Helene's death toll tops 130

VALDOSTA, Georgia — The death toll from a devastating storm that battered the southeastern United States climbed to at least 130 on Monday, as the disaster became a hot topic in the presidential election campaign.

A crisis was unfolding in western North Carolina, where residents stranded by washed-out roads and by a lack of power and cellular service lined up for fresh water and a chance to message loved ones days after the storm that they were alive.

At least 133 deaths in six southeastern states have been attributed to the storm that inflicted damage from Florida's Gulf Coast to the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia.

The toll steadily rose as emergency workers reached areas isolated by collapsed roads, failing infrastructure and widespread flooding. During a briefing on Monday, White House Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall suggested as many as 600 people hadn't been accounted for as of Monday afternoon, saying some might be dead.

The destruction and desperation were overwhelming. A flattened cargo container sat atop a bridge crossing a river with muddy brown water. A mass of debris, including overturned pontoon boats and splintered wooden docks and tree trunks covered the surface of Lake Lure, a picturesque spot tucked between the mountains outside Asheville.

The North Carolina death toll included one horrific story after another of people who were trapped by floodwaters in their homes and vehicles or were killed by falling trees. A courthouse security officer died after being submerged inside his truck. A couple and a 6-year-old boy waiting to be rescued on a rooftop drowned when part of their home collapsed.

Former president Donald Trump criticized President Joe Biden administration's response to the devastation.

The Republican nominee claimed upon landing in Valdosta that Biden was "sleeping" and not responding to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who he said was "calling the president and hasn't been able to get him". He repeated the claim at an event with reporters after being told Kemp said he had spoken to Biden.

"He's lying," Biden told reporters in the Oval Office, adding that he had spoken to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper "and he told him he's lying. I don't know why he does it … that's simply not true, and it's irresponsible".

On Monday, Vice-President Kamala Harris, who is running against Trump in the presidential election, visited the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington.

She called the devastation "heartbreaking" and vowed that she and Biden will make sure the impacted communities "get what they need to recover," adding: "The true character of the nation is revealed in moments of hardship".

Agencies Via Xinhua