Road closures caused by surging rivers and disrupted communications in the wake of Hurricane Helene on Saturday isolated western North Carolina in what officials are calling a "catastrophic natural disaster.

Gas shortages, downed power lines, spotty phone service and blocked roads made rescuing residents and assessing damage a nearly impossible task across much of western North Carolina, a day after Hurricane Helene drenched the region with historic amounts of rainfall.

Hurricane Helene’s landfall in Florida triggered catastrophic flooding across the Southeast and into the Appalachians. Dozens are dead, and widespread power outages remained entering the weekend.