Before-and-after photos show Hurricane Helene's destructive power in Western North Carolina

The damage wrought by Hurricane Helene was especially extensive in Western North Carolina, a region far from the Florida coast where the system made landfall as a Category 4 storm.

The death toll from Helene reached 200 people on Thursday as officials in Georgia and North Carolina reported more fatalities attributed to the storm. That figure is expected to rise significantly in the coming days as rescue and relief crews continue to enter areas cut off by raging flood waters.

Before-and-after satellite photos of towns like Old Fort, which is just outside of Asheville, told the story of how floodwaters inundated communities, washed away homes and tossed cars and trucks as if they were toys. What was left behind was a landscape covered in mud debris that will take months, if not years, and billions of dollars to restore.

A satellite view shows Old Fort Elementary School before flooding, in Old Fort, North Carolina on January 7, 2022 and after Hurricane Helene on October 2, 2024 (Maxar Technologies via Reuters)

A satellite view shows Old Fort before being damaged by the passing of Hurricane Helene, in North Carolina on January 7, 2022 and after Hurricane Helene on October 2, 2024. (Maxar Technologies via Reuters)

A satellite view shows North Toe River and a market, in Spruce Pine, North Carolina on February 3, 2024 and after Hurricane Helene on October 2, 2024. (Maxar Technologies via Reuters)

A satellite view shows a closer view of Old Fort before being damaged by the passing of Hurricane Helene, in North Carolina on January 7, 2022 and after Hurricane Helene on October 2, 2024. (Maxar Technologies via Reuters)

A satellite view shows Mill Creek before being damaged by the passing of Hurricane Helene, in Old Fort, North Carolina on January 7, 2022 and after Hurricane Helene on October 2, 2024. (Maxar Technologies via Reuters)

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