At least 30 people have died and scores more are unaccounted for in Buncombe County in North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene tore across the state and caused catastrophic flooding.

Helene began as a hurricane - the most powerful on record to hit Florida's Big Bend, and moved north into Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee. The majority of deaths have been confirmed in North and South Carolina where Helene landed as a tropical storm.

At least 105 people have died nationwide since the hurricane made landfall in Florida on Thursday, and that figure is expected to rise as officials reach more areas. Some residents returned to find their homes entirely destroyed on Sunday.