Millions of Americans were still without power and many faced torrential flooding on Saturday, authorities said, as powerful storm Helene rumbled across eastern and midwestern US states, leaving at least 44 people dead.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris expressed their sympathies for communities ravaged by Hurricane Helene.

UPDATE: 10:05 a.m. The remnants of Hurricane Helene dissipated Saturday but millions remain without power across the Southeast and officials warned that record-breaking river flooding is ongoing in parts of southern Appalachia.

Hurricane Helene claimed the lives of at least 49 people across multiple states, levelled communities, and stranded countless others in floodwaters. While downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, Helene continued to produce heavy rain.

The death toll from the passage of powerful Storm Helene reached at least 53, authorities said, as responders, hampered by washed-out bridges and debris-strewn roads, searched house-by-house for survivors in devastated regions of several eastern US states.

The death toll has climbed to 37 after Hurricane Helene, one of the most powerful storms to strike the United States, made landfall in Florida as a

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp reported 11 fatalities in his state, including an emergency responder.