Survived, missing, dead: stories from Hurricane Helene’s deadly path

Behind the devastating storm's death toll - currently more than 200 people in six states - lie personal tales of anguish

Hundreds, if not thousands, of harrowing stories of search and survival have come to light in the wake of Hurricane Helene's devastation, which destroyed communities in six states across the south-east US after it made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region.

Heading into the weekend, officials reported at least 215 deaths across Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia, the toll climbing as recovery efforts continued. It was the deadliest US hurricane since the levee failures in New Orleans during Katrina killed nearly 1,400 people.