OLD FORT, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 30: Charlie Pyles, left, talks with Ralph Bartlett downtown in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 30, 2024 in Old Fort, North Carolina. “Nobody was ready for this,” said Pyles. At least 90 people have been killed across the southeastern U.S. due to the hurricane, according to published reports, which made landfall as a category 4 storm on Thursday. Millions are without power, according to the reports. The White House declared major disasters in North Carolina and Florida, freeing up federal emergency management money for those areas. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)