The Whitson family sits outside their damaged home in Green Mountain, North Carolina, October 6, 2024, after Hurricane Helene destroyed their family business "Whitson Furniture and General Store.". The storm, which struck Florida on September 26, has killed more than 225 people across a handful of states -- making it the deadliest natural disaster to hit the United States since 2005's Hurricane Katrina -- with the toll still rising. (Photo by Allison Joyce / AFP) (Photo by ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images)