It will take weeks, months and potentially years to clean up from Hurricane Helene in East Tennessee. Loved ones are still waiting on word from family members, hoping they simply evacuated and can't be reached.

The remnants of Hurricane Helene thrashed East Tennessee on Friday, causing catastrophic flooding in several communities near the North Carolina border. The big picture: Towns were evacuated and whole homes were carried away by record-breaking floodwaters.

As communities begin regrouping, they're focusing on finding people who are unaccounted for, reopening roads, ensuring there is safe drinking water and finding shelter for people whose homes are damaged.