Republican congresswoman's husband stranded in North Carolina as Helene damage brings 'tremendous challenge'
Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., says her husband is one of the thousands of Americans who are stranded inside their homes without power and other essentials in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Foxx said she first returned to her district in North Carolina on Friday and has been shocked by the devastation. She said her home's driveway was washed away, leaving her husband no way to leave.
"I've been working day and night trying to help constituents solve the problems that they're facing. It is really hard to understand the devastation that's occurred here, unless one drives around and sees it, which I have done," Foxx told Fox News Digital.
"The amount of rain that came down, and what it did to rivers and streams and little creeks, is just hard truly to imagine, but I have seen it firsthand," she added.
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"Communications has been the biggest challenge. Lack of power. Electricity is another major, major challenge. My own husband is stranded. Our driveway washed away, and he has no power, and hasn't had power since early Friday morning," she said.
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"A few people have gotten power back, but not many. I have 11 counties in my district. I have five in particular that have been severely impacted, with roads closed, no communications, deaths, and we don't even know the extent of that yet. So it's been a pretty tough situation here," she concluded.
Images of devastation have poured out of North Carolina and other states that were in Helene's path throughout the week.
In Fairview, a suburb of Asheville hit hard by floodwaters and mudslides after the worst of Helene Friday morning, residents drove around grocery store parking lots asking others where they got water, gasoline and food.
"They're afraid. People are getting on edge," retired Asheville, North Carolina, police Officer Steve Antle told Fox News Digital. "They've already had people doing some minor looting in the area. Because there's no power … so it's just a free-for-all at this point. There are no traffic signals. There are not enough police officers."
Due to the lack of electricity and cell service, many locals are unable to communicate to find out where these necessities are. Communication with loved ones and emergency personnel is also spotty, and residents are relying on temporary cell service towers that have been set up in select locations. But outside those locations, there is still no service or roaming data.
Fox News' Ashley Pappas and Audrey Conklin contributed to this report