Officials said Sunday they're waiting to release information about deaths because residents still lack phone access.

The National Weather Service said Helene had cleared most of the Western North Carolina area by 11:21 a.m. Friday, but significant impacts including serious flooding were expected to continue into the weekend. Numerous areas and cities along the French Broad River are experiencing flooding and the river continues to rise.

In North Carolina, more than 400 roads remained closed on Saturday as floodwaters began to recede and reveal the extent of damage.

Tropical Storm Helene swept through the region Sept. 27, causing massive power outages, dam and reservoir breaches and widespread flooding.

Floodwaters pushed by remnants of Hurricane Helene have left North Carolina’s largest mountain city isolated by damaged roads and a lack of power and cellphone service