Before and after photos show the destructive power of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina

The damage caused by Hurricane Helene was particularly severe in western North Carolina, a region far from the Florida coast, where the system made landfall as a Category 4 storm.

Helene’s death toll reached 200 people on Thursday as officials in Georgia and North Carolina reported additional fatalities attributed to the storm. That number is expected to rise significantly in the coming days as rescue and relief workers continue to reach areas cut off by the raging floods.

Before-and-after satellite photos of towns like Old Fort, just outside Asheville, told the story of how floods inundated communities, washing away homes and tossing cars and trucks like they were toys. What was left was a landscape covered in muddy 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 damage from 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 the 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 damage from 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 damage from Hurricane Helene on January 7, 2022, in Old Fort, North Carolina, and after Hurricane Helene on October 2, 2024. (Maxar Technologies via Reuters)