A resident of Asheville, North Carolina, sounded the alarm as his community battles the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. He described the “apocalyptic weekend” in which the death toll continues to rise while millions of people remain without power and water.

“It was an incredibly apocalyptic weekend for all of us here,” said Asheville resident Gregory Harrison. “Almost no gas. There’s almost no cell service. There’s limited power. There’s limited food. There are people trying to find drinking water to feed their families, to have water for their children.”

HURRICANE HELENE: FOX WEATHER METEOROLOGIST RESCUES WOMAN FROM CAR DURING LIVE RECORDING AS FLOOD WATER RISES

Officials in Asheville are still trying to rescue residents trapped by last weekend’s historic flooding, which left many without access to power, running water and cell service.

As of Sunday morning, the North Carolina National Guard (NCNG) activated more than 500 soldiers and airmen and more than 200 vehicles and aircraft, including hoist and emergency aviation assets and high tide response vehicles.

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 28: Heavy rainfall from Hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage in Asheville, North Carolina on September 28, 2024. Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend on Thursday evening with winds of up to 140 miles per hour and storm surges that killed at least 42 people in several states. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images))

The NCNG reported completing 16 aerial missions, resulting in the rescue of 119 civilians and 11 pets. It said 41 people were rescued in the largest mission north of the city Asheville in Bumcombe County.

“Our Air Force has transported more than 34,000 pounds of cargo, including food, water and medical supplies for distribution. In the past 48 hours, we have expanded to include personnel and Air Force from Connecticut, Maryland, Ohio, Iowa, Florida, South Carolina and Pennsylvania,” NCNG’s post continued.

Buncombe County Communications Director Lillian Govus urged people in surrounding areas not to come to the affected communities to maximize search and rescue efforts.

“People shouldn’t come here right now,” Govus told Lawrence Jones. “We are still in an active search and rescue phase. We are now experiencing active flooding. Like you said, it will only rain a little bit and then there will be more landslides and mudslides.”

“One of our highways, I-40, which is the main highway that takes you all the way to the beach from Asheville, is closed because the top of a mountain has actually slid down and covered the entire highway,” she continued. . “We have a little narrow path, and that’s only for our emergency vehicles.”

VIDEOS: HURRICANE HELENE PRODUCES RECORD STORM WEATHER ALONG FLORIDA’S GULF COAST

Govus said her community is no longer recognizable after the deadly storm.

“I live in Black Mountain. What’s there now is nothing like the community I lived in before,” Govus said. “Houses have completely disappeared. Electricity cables have been destroyed. The poles have been broken in half and are dangling in other places.”

“Houses have been completely washed away. We don’t have running water, and so that’s a really big public health crisis for us right now,” she continued.

Appalachian State University student Laci Hentschel said she was one of the lucky residents who had power, water and cell service, but said she knows people who lost everything after the destruction of Helene.

“My apartment, fortunately, was one of the apartments where we are better off, so we have power, water and Wi-Fi,” Hentschel told Todd Piro on “Fox & Friends First” on Monday. “However, the water is still undrinkable, but unfortunately it’s just really sad to see all my fellow mountaineers that… their apartments didn’t fare so well in all this weather.”

“I know people who have lost everything and are now trying to get back on their feet,” she continued. “It’s just really sad to see all this, but I’m glad our community can come together and strengthen each other and do what we can for each other in this time of need.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Another Asheville resident, an art studio owner who was fortunately spared, said she moved to North Carolina after Hurricane Ian in hopes of avoiding another catastrophic storm.

“I came from Florida after Hurricane Ian. I thought this was the area we were supposed to be safe, but this is not safe,” she said. “They said this…could happen, but it was hard to believe,” she continued.

On Sunday, Xavier Becerra, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, declared one public health emergency (PHE) for North Carolina to address the health impacts of Hurricane Helene.

The public health emergency declarations followed President Biden’s emergency declarations for Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Public health emergency declarations give the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ providers and providers more flexibility in meeting the urgent health care needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

Stepheny Price of Fox News contributed to this report.