Helene death toll now at 166, hurricane victims still missing, Biden to North Carolina

At least 166 people across the South have died as a result of Hurricane Helene, according to the most recent number announced Wednesday, a week after the storm made landfall on Florida's Big Bend region.

North Carolina appears to be the hardest hit among southeastern U.S. states, with many residents, particularly in the state's western, mountainous region, still without electricity, cellphone service and running water, according to the Associated Press.   

Rescuers are still searching through the region for unaccounted for people. 

The storm made landfall Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane. It was quickly downgraded to a tropical storm as it ground northward, losing windspeed but still brining a tremendous amount of rain. 

Also Wednesday, President Joe Biden will survey the devastation in North and South Carolina, while Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, will go to Georgia and North Carolina.

The storm is emerging as one of the most destructive and deadly in U.S. history.