Marcellus Williams executed by lethal injection in Missouri after SCOTUS denied appeals

(NEW YORK) — The storm surge, wind damage and inland flooding from Hurricane Helene have been catastrophic, flooding neighborhoods, stranding residents, destroying homes and toppling trees in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.

Dozens have been killed.

Helene, which made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region Thursday night as a massive Category 4 hurricane, was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the Big Bend on record.

Here’s how the news is developing:

Biden deploying up to 1,000 active-duty troops to support NC National Guard

President Joe Biden announced Wednesday he has directed the deployment of “up to one thousand active-duty soldiers to reinforce the North Carolina National Guard.” The announcement comes as Biden will travel to South Carolina and North Carolina Wednesday to survey the impacts of Hurricane Helene.

“These soldiers will speed up the delivery of life-saving supplies of food, water, and medicine to isolated communities in North Carolina — they have the manpower and logistical capabilities to get this vital job done, and fast. They will join hundreds of North Carolina National Guard members deployed under State authorities in support of the response,” Biden said in the statement.

“Hurricane Helene has been a storm of historic proportion. My heart goes out to everyone who has experienced unthinkable loss. We are here for you — and we will stay here for as long as it takes,” Biden added.

The White House fact sheet says the soldiers will “support the delivery of food, water, and other critical commodities,” to impacted communities. The fact sheet adds the deployment is effective immediately. The soldiers are part of the Infantry Battalion Task Force based in Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and includes a Forward Support Company, according to the administration.

-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart

1.3 million customers still without power in some southern states

As recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic force continue, 1.3 million customers are still without power in some southern states.

As of Wednesday morning, 1,309,419 customers are without power across the South, according to poweroutage.us.

The hardest-hit states are South Carolina with over 493,000 customers without power, North Carolina with over 347,000 customers without power and Georgia with over 372,000 customers without power.

Outages are also reported in Florida (40,012 customers), Virginia (44,999 customers) and West Virginia (10,968 customers).

Helene death toll rises to 166

The confirmed death toll for Hurricane Helene rose to at least 166 people as of Wednesday, The Associated Press reported, as recovery efforts continue across the Southeast.

President Joe Biden will travel to North and South Carolina on Wednesday to survey the destruction while rescuers continue their search for the missing. Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Georgia, which was also badly affected.

“We have to jump start this recovery process,” Biden said Tuesday. “People are scared to death. This is urgent.”

-ABC News’ Jessica Gorman

Bipartisan senators call on Congress to address Hurricane Helene damage

In a joint letter released Tuesday, Senate leaders Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell and several other senators on both sides of the political aisle called on Congress to meet following the devastation of Hurricane Helene.

“Although the true level of devastation is still unfolding, it is clear that Congress must act to meet the unmet needs in our states and address the scope and scale of destruction experienced by our constituents,” the leaders wrote in the letter.

The senators suggested Congress convene in October to “ensure we have enough time to enact legislation before the end of this calendar year.”

“Tens of millions of Americans were impacted by Hurricane Helene, and we look forward to working with you to provide relief to those impacted by this horrific storm,” the senators wrote

Bipartisan senators call on Congress to address Hurricane Helene damage

In a joint letter released Tuesday, Senate leaders Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell and several other senators on both sides of the political aisle called on Congress to meet following the devastation of Hurricane Helene.

“Although the true level of devastation is still unfolding, it is clear that Congress must act to meet the unmet needs in our states and address the scope and scale of destruction experienced by our constituents,” the leaders wrote in the letter.

The senators suggested Congress convene in October to “ensure we have enough time to enact legislation before the end of this calendar year.”

“Tens of millions of Americans were impacted by Hurricane Helene, and we look forward to working with you to provide relief to those impacted by this horrific storm,” the senators wrote

1.4 million customers still without power in some southern states

As recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic force continue, 1.4 million customers are still without power in some southern states.

As of Tuesday evening, 1,469,304 customers are without power across the south, according to poweroutage.us.

The hardest-hit states are South Carolina with over 551,000 customers without power, North Carolina with over 367,000 customers without power and Georgia with over 422,000 customers without power.

Outages are also reported in Florida (57,054 customers), Virginia (57,255 customers) and West Virginia (13,399 customers).

Helene’s death toll climbs to 159

At least 159 people have been killed by Hurricane Helene in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.

Death toll rises to 57 in Buncombe County, North Carolina

Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller confirmed that 57 residents have died from the impact of Hurricane Helene.

Over 100,000 people remain without power in the county, Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder said in a press conference Tuesday.

Water and meals will continue to be provided at several distribution sites in the county. Neighboring counties have stepped in to help and are now receiving overflow 911 calls from Buncombe County, Pinder said.

There are “miles of complete devastation” in Buncombe County, said Scott Dean, with the responding National Urban Search and Rescue team.

Officials said there are 19 federal urban search and rescue teams on the ground in the state, working to get to those who cannot leave their homes and to provide assistance. Local police and fire departments are responding to more accessible areas to answer calls.

Buncombe County and state officials are also discussing deploying and using mobile morgues in the county, Pinder said.

Biltmore Village no longer has standing water, but roads remain blocked from the devastation, which will continue to make it difficult to respond and remove debris from the Asheville neighborhood, said Pinder.

Dr. Jennifer Mullendore, Buncombe County’s medical director, said that the county is accepting donations of certain medications and providing primary health care to adults in need. The NC Board of Pharmacy is helping direct people to pharmacies currently open in the state.

Asheville Assistant City Manager Ben Woody reiterated that it would take weeks for water services to be fully restored in the city.

-ABC News’ Victoria Arancio

38 confirmed deaths in North Carolina, number expected to grow

There have been at least 38 deaths in North Carolina from Helene, Gov. Roy Cooper said in a briefing Wednesday afternoon, but he added he expects that number to grow.

Cooper spent Monday in western North Carolina and will be returning this afternoon, he said. First responders are continuing to rescue people and rush aid to the mountain communities.

More than 460,000 customers are without power down from a peak of more than a million, Cooper confirmed. There are more than 1,100 people being housed in 29 shelters and Cooper said he is still urging people to continue to stay off the roads.

“As heartbreaking as this damage has been, it’s encouraging to see the way people are working together,” Cooper said. “I talked with a number of first responders and medical workers and volunteers who have left their won families to take care of our communities.”

The National Guard currently have 800 guardsmen on duty with 275 vehicles. Almost 200,000 pounds of food and commodities were delivered out of the Asheville airport.

“I have committed to the governor that I will stay here until the event is stabilized and we will continue to bring in as many federal resources as needed, not just for the ongoing response, but as we move into recovery,” Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said.

-ABC News’ Alex Faul

Kamala Harris to travel to Georgia on Wednesday

Vice President and presidential nominee Kamala Harris will travel to Georgia on Wednesday to check out damage from Hurricane Helene, according to her office.

“Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Georgia to survey the impacts of Hurricane Helene and receive an on-the-ground briefing about the continued recovery efforts that are occurring in communities across the state,” according to a statement.

The statement did not say exactly where Harris will visit. President Joe Biden is set to visit North Carolina and South Carolina on Wednesday as well.

Harris’ competitor in the presidential race, Donald Trump, visited Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday.

Helene’s death toll climbs to 139

At least 139 people have been killed by Hurricane Helene in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.

That includes at least 40 people in Buncombe County, North Carolina, which includes the city of Asheville, local officials said Monday.

Public health emergency declared in South Carolina, Tennessee

A public health emergency has been declared in South Carolina and Tennessee in the wake of Helene, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, following the same declarations in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.

“We will do all we can to help officials in South Carolina and Tennessee respond to the health impacts of Hurricane Helene,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “We are working closely with state and local health authorities, as well as with our partners across the federal government, and stand ready to provide additional public health and medical support.”

The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response deployed about 200 personnel to assist local officials with the storm’s impacts to hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities, according to HHS.

The government’s National Disaster Medical System has already deployed 29 trucks filled with equipment to help patients in health care facilities, many of which were totally knocked off the grid.

6,300 National Guardsmen mobilized for recovery efforts

There have been more than 6,300 members of the National Guard mobilized to “support ongoing disaster relief, rescue, and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene,” according to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

There will be guardsmen from 12 different states moving into the South to help, especially in North Carolina.

“We continue to stand by the people and communities of North Carolina and all those affected,” Austin added.

FEMA has delivered 1 million liters of water and 600K meals to North Carolina

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper called the impact of Hurricane Helene on the state “absolutely catastrophic” in a statement Monday.

“This is an unprecedented response and an absolutely enormous coordinated effort by the state, federal and local partners,” Cooper said.

Cooper, who inspected the staging area at the Asheville airport Monday, said “Hundreds of thousands of pounds of supplies are being flown in, packed onto helicopters and flown into areas that can’t be reached by vehicles.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has delivered 1 million liters of water and 600,000 meals to people in North Carolina, Cooper said.

The governor added that there are 92 search and rescue teams working to help bring residents to safety.

Biden says he’ll travel to North Carolina on Wednesday

President Joe Biden told reporters from the Oval Office he will travel to North Carolina on Wednesday to survey the damage.

He said he plans to land in Raleigh for a briefing and then do an aerial tour of Asheville to avoid straining on-the-ground resources.

He said he will visit Georgia and Florida “as soon as possible after that.”

Asked by ABC News’ Karen Travers how Americans can help out, Biden recommended people reach out to the Red Cross — and gear up for a long recovery.

“There is a lot to do, and this is just beginning,” Biden said. “We’ve been through this before, but not — not like this. This is the worst ever.”

Harris to impacted communities: ‘Our nation is with you’

Vice President Kamala Harris called the storm damage throughout the Southeast the “worst destruction and devastation that we have seen in quite some time” during remarks from FEMA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., Monday afternoon.

“In coordination with state and local officials, President Biden and I will continue to make sure that communities have the support and the resources that they need — not only to respond to this storm and its immediate aftermath, but also the resources they will need to recover,” Harris said.

Harris said more than 3,300 federal personnel are on the ground to assist with recovery efforts, including deploying food, water and generators as well as helping to restore water and power.

“To everyone who has been impacted by this storm, and to all of those of you who are rightly feeling overwhelmed by the destruction and the loss, our nation is with you,” she said. “We will continue to do everything we can to help you recover and to help you rebuild. No matter how long it takes.”

Harris said she has spoken to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and plans to be “on the ground as soon as possible” without disrupting any emergency response operations.

Storm ‘unprecedented’ for western North Carolina

Helene is “an unprecedented storm” for western North Carolina, requiring an “unprecedented response,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday.

“We’re dealing with a situation that is unlike anybody’s ever seen in western North Carolina,” he said.

The damage is “extensive and devastating” and is “going to require significant resources, both in the short-term and the long-term,” the governor said.

Ninety-two rescue teams are out conducting search and rescues right now, Cooper said.

More than 300 roads are closed and some bridges have been destroyed, officials said.

Over 7,000 North Carolina residents have registered for FEMA individual assistance and that money is already flowing in, according to Will Ray, director of North Carolina Emergency Management.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell promised that the agency will “be here as long as it takes to finish this response and continue through the recovery.”

“We have the resources here in North Carolina to help,” Criswell said. “We will continue to send additional resources in.”

Full extent of damage still unclear: Homeland security adviser

Homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood Randall said the full extent of the damage from the hurricane is still unclear.

“It probably will take several more days, as communities begin to be opened up by the debris clearance on the roads, and we can get in, and really understand what’s happened to them,” she said.

Sherwood-Randall said about 600 people are unaccounted for.

“We’re very hopeful that some of those people just don’t have cellphones working and actually are alive,” she said.

Sherwood-Randall said 3,500 federal response personnel have been deployed to the region and additional personnel is expected to arrive in the coming days.

With communication remaining a major challenge, Sherwood-Randall said, “Today, FEMA will install 30 Starlink receivers in western North Carolina to provide immediate connectivity for those in greatest need.”

She also highlighted that in states that have received major disaster declarations, FEMA is working to distribute serious needs assistance, which gives “an immediate $750 direct payment to eligible households, to allow them to pay for essential items like food, baby formula, water, medications and other emergency supplies.”

-ABC News’ Molly Nagle

Sen. Rick Scott calls for Senate to reconvene to pass emergency aid

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is calling upon the Senate to reconvene to approve an emergency aid package for victims of Hurricane Helene.

“While I know from my experience with previous hurricanes that FEMA and [Small Business Administration] damage assessments take time, I am today urging Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to immediately reconvene the U.S. Senate when those assessments are completed so that we can pass the clean supplemental disaster funding bill and other disaster relief legislation, like my Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act, needed to ensure the full recovery of families in all impacted communities,” Scott said in a statement Monday.

Any additional funding, beyond the funding approved by President Joe Biden and able to be drawn down from FEMA, would need to be approved by both chambers of Congress.

The Senate let out on Wednesday after approving a stopgap funding bill to keep the government funded through Dec. 20. The Senate is not scheduled to return until Nov. 12. The House is also out of session and would need to return to approve any aid.

-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin

How to help

Click here for a list of charities and organizations that are supporting relief efforts, including the Red Cross and Americares.

Trump visits hard-hit Valdosta, Georgia

Former President Donald Trump visited hard-hit Valdosta in southern Georgia on Monday to distribute supplies and “stand in complete solidarity with … all of those suffering in the terrible aftermath of Hurricane Helene.”

“Valdosta has been ravaged,” Trump said. “The town is, very, very badly hurting, and many thousands are without power. They’re running low on food and fuel. We brought a lot of it down with us.”

“We’ll continue to help until you’re bigger, better, stronger than ever before,” Trump said.

The former president held a “moment of silence and prayer” for those killed in the storm.

Twenty-five people in Georgia have died in the storm, Gov. Brian Kemp said.

Trump said he’ll also visit North Carolina as the state works to recover from Helene.

Biden plans to visit storm zone Wednesday or Thursday

President Joe Biden said Monday that Helene is “not just a catastrophic storm — it’s a historic, history-making storm.”

Biden said he will travel to the impact zone as soon as possible, ideally Wednesday or Thursday. He said he’s been told it’d be disruptive to visit immediately, and he does not want to interfere with these areas accessing the relief they desperately need.

“Communities are devastated. Loved ones waiting, not sure if their loved ones are OK, and they can’t contact them because there’s no cellphone connections. Many more folks displaced have no idea when they’ll be able to be return to their home, if ever, if there’s a home to return to,” he said.

“There’s nothing like wondering, ‘Is my husband, wife, son, daughter, mother, father, alive?’ And many more who remain without electricity, water, food and communications,” he said.

Biden said he’s directed his team “to provide every available resource as fast as possible.”

Biden vowed, “We’re not leaving until the job is done.”

Helene ‘spared no one’ in Georgia, governor says

Hurricane Helene “literally spared no one” in Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp said Monday.

Twenty-five people in Georgia have died in the storm, Kemp said. The victims include: a 27-year-old mother and her 1-month-old twin boys, who died when a tree fell on their home; Leon Davis, an assistant fire chief from Blackshear, who died when a tree fell on his car while he was responding to a call; and a 7-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl who died when a tree fell on their burning house, he said.

More than 500,000 customers in Georgia remain without power after Helene damaged over 5,000 poles, the governor said. Kemp said Georgia Power officials are calling Helene the most devastating storm they’ve faced.

Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit hard-hit Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday.

35 dead, hundreds unaccounted for in hard-hit Buncombe County, North Carolina

Thirty-five people are dead and 600 people remain unaccounted for in hard-hit Buncombe County, North Carolina, which encompasses Asheville, according to county officials.

County officials said people will go door-to-door to check on those who have been reported missing.

Shelters are at capacity, officials said.

The city of Asheville has partnered with Verizon to establish a temporary cellphone tower, officials said.

-ABC News’ Alex Faul and Jessica Gorman

600 people still unaccounted for in hard-hit Buncombe County, North Carolina

Six-hundred people remain unaccounted for in hard-hit Buncombe County, North Carolina, which encompasses Asheville, according to county officials.

County officials said people will go door-to-door to check on those who have been reported missing.

Thirty people in Buncombe County have been confirmed dead from the hurricane, the sheriff said Sunday.

Buncombe County remains under a state of emergency.

-ABC News’ Jessica Gorman

Helene remnants move into mid-Atlantic

After dumping more than 30 inches of rain on North Carolina and producing the biggest local flood in recorded history, the remnants of Helene are forecast to move on Monday into the mid-Atlantic.

As southeastern United States worked to clean up from Helene, some of its remnants are moving into Mid-Atlantic today with heavy rain forecast for West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland.

There is an elevated flood threat on Monday in Virginia and West Virginia, where the already saturated ground could get additional 1 to 2 inches of rain, which could produce flash flooding.

-ABC News’ Max Golembo

Harris planning visit to communities impacted by Helene

Vice President Kamala Harris intends to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene “as soon as it is possible without disrupting emergency response operations,” according to a White House official.

Harris, who was briefed by FEMA on the federal response to the hurricane, reached out to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

At a rally in Las Vegas on Sunday, Harris addressed those who were impacted by the hurricane by sending her “thoughts and prayers” and thanking first responders.

“I know that everyone here sends their thoughts and prayers for folks who have been so devastated in Florida, in Georgia, the Carolinas and other impacted states. And we know that so many have been impacted. Some have died, but I want to thank everyone for doing everything you can to think about them,” Harris said. “Send them your thoughts and your prayers. I want to thank the first responders who have done so much. I stand with these communities for as long as it takes to make sure that they are able to recover and rebuild.”

-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow and Will McDuffie

Gov. DeSantis says power restored to all but 111K in Florida

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shared a major update on power restoration progress in the state on Sunday.

DeSantis said a post on X that most customers who lost power after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend area last week, have had their electricity restored.

The governor said power was back for 2.3 million customers, and 99% of the state has power.

He added that power remains out for 111,000 customers.

Biden intends to visit hurricane zone this week

President Joe Biden spent his Sunday evening receiving briefings on the damage from Hurricane Helene, and speaking to local officials from the impacted areas.

In a statement, the White House said Biden intends to travel to the impacted areas this week, “as soon as it will not disrupt emergency operations.”

Additionally, Biden spoke by phone Sunday with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Valdosta, Georgia, Mayor Scott Matheson and Taylor County, Florida, emergency management director John Louk, according to the White House.

The president also reached out to additional officials across North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida and South Carolina.

“In each conversation, the President received updates on response and recovery efforts, and he shared how the Biden-Administration will continue providing support to impacted communities – for as long as it takes,” the White House said in the statement.

-ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky

Trump to visit Valdosta, Georgia

Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday to receive a briefing on the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, help distribute supplies and deliver remarks, his campaign said.

President Joe Biden said Sunday that the photographs showing Hurricane Helene’s damage are “stunning.”

When asked by reporters about his message to the victims, Biden said, “It’s tragic.”

“My FEMA advisor is on the ground in Florida right now. … We’re working hard,” Biden said.

Asked by ABC News if there are more resources the federal government could be providing, Biden responded, “No, we’ve given them. We have pre-planned a significant amount, even though they didn’t ask for it yet — hadn’t asked for it yet.”

-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart

25 dead in South Carolina

Hurricane Helene’s impact on South Carolina has been “devastating,” and the storm has claimed the lives of 25 people in the state, Gov. Henry McMaster said Sunday.

“We don’t want to lose any more,” McMaster said.

Nearly 1.3 million customers lost power in South Carolina at Helene’s peak. As of Sunday afternoon, more than 800,000 customers remain in the dark.

The governor emphasized that power companies are working around the clock to restore electricity. Thousands of workers are on the ground, but downed trees tangled in power lines are delaying efforts, he said.

-ABC News’ Jason Volack

FEMA sending more search and rescue teams to North Carolina

FEMA Director Deanne Criswell said the agency is sending more search and rescue teams to western North Carolina, where residents are facing “historic” flooding from Hurricane Helene.

“I don’t know that anybody could be fully prepared for the amount of flooding and landslides that they are experiencing right now. But we have had teams in there for several days. We’re sending more search and rescue teams in there,” Criswell told CBS’ Face the Nation.

Gov. Roy Cooper described Hurricane Helene’s damage in western North Carolina as “catastrophic.”

“This unprecedented storm dropped from 10 to 29 inches of rain across the mountains, leading to life-threatening floods and landslides,” he said Sunday.

Water systems have been impacted and some roads have washed away, hampering the ability for officials to set up food and water distribution sites.

“We have sent bottled water in, but we also have the Army Corps of Engineers that’s getting ready to start assessments today to see what we can do to help get those water systems back online quickly,” Criswell said.

“We’re also moving in satellite communications, Starlink satellites, into the area to help facilitate the lack of communication that part of the state is experiencing,” Criswell added.

-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart and Jason Volack

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(LONDON, Kent.) — As the hunt for the suspected gunman in an eastern Kentucky interstate shooting that left five people injured entered its sixth day, Gov. Andy Beshear said law enforcement officers will be posted at high school football games and stationed along school bus routes in an attempt to ease fear in nearby communities.

Beshear on Thursday said four of the victims shot in Saturday’s sniper-like attack on Interstate 75 near London, Kentucky, have been released from hospitals and that the fifth victim is also expected to survive.

The governor said he is confident that law enforcement teams with the help of agents from the FBI, the U.S. Marshal’s Service and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives will catch suspect Joseph Couch and bring him to justice.

“I don’t yet have the evidence in front of me of what fully led him to this point, but there’s no excuse,” he said. “When you put a plan in place to take the lives of our fellow human beings and try to take as many of them as possible, you can and should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

Beshear said the Kentucky State Police believe Couch, 32, is still in the thick woods of the 708,000-acre Daniel Boone National Forest, which he described as “some of the most rugged terrain that anyone could hide in.”

Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip “PJ” Burnett said more than 100 officers are combing the forest, where on the day of the rampage investigators found an AR-15 rifle believed to have been used in the the shooting as well as Couch’s vehicle abandoned on a forest road.

“We have no significant updates at this time, but we are following up on leads,” Burnett said.

The commissioner said police are using sophisticated technology in the search, including Kentucky National Guard Black Hawk helicopters, aircraft equipped with thermal imaging and multiple K-9 units, including cadaver-sniffing dogs and FBI bloodhounds brought in from Illinois.

Burnett said the search, which has focused on the area near I-75’s Exit 49, is being expanded in the Daniel Boone National Forest.

“We will keep working until we exhaust every single lead,” Burnett said.

Beshear said he’ll consider deploying National Guard troops to the forest to help in the ground search.

“Right now what was requested is some aerial assistance. The Black Hawks have proven to be very helpful. Right now we don’t have an extra request, but that’s something we would certainly look at,” Beshear said of deploying the National Guard on the ground.

However, Beshear said investigators believe Couch could still be armed and dangerous.

“This isn’t the type of search where you can put a whole bunch of people out there at once because this is an individual that we believe is still armed, would be very difficult to spot and we want to make sure we don’t lose anybody throughout this,” Beshear said.

According to an arrest warrant, Couch, a former member of the U.S. Army Reserves, is wanted on charges of attempted murder and first-degree assault. A $35,000 reward is being offered for information leading to his capture.

Couch was allegedly involved in a domestic dispute on Saturday morning and legally purchased an AR-15 rifle and ammunition at a gun store hours before allegedly opening fire on vehicles traveling on I-75, law enforcement officials told ABC News.

Up to 30 rounds were fired from a hillside near Exit 49, officials said. At least 12 vehicles were struck by gunfire, leaving five people with gunshot wounds, including one victim who was shot in the face, officials said.

Investigators said they believe all of the victims were shot at randomly and that Couch had no previous contact with any of them.

Before the interstate shooting, according to the arrest warrant, a Laurel County 911 dispatcher received a call from a woman who alleged Couch texted her and “advised he was going to kill a lot of people. Well try at least.” The text message was sent to the woman at 5:03 p.m. Saturday, about a half-hour before the interstate shooting started, according to the arrest warrant.

“Couch sent another message to [the woman] that read, in part, ‘I’ll kill myself afterwards,” according to the arrest warrant.

London city officials told ABC News the woman Couch texted is the mother of his child.

Burnett said Thursday that the police “understand there is fear in the community.” To ease fears, he said state troopers and officers will be posted at every high school football game in Laurel County on Friday night.

Beshear said the presence of law enforcement officers is being boosted at area public schools and that state police are helping local police with some bus routes to ensure students get to school safely.

The governor implored citizens not to turn Couch into a folk hero for evading capture.

“There is no notoriety, there is no celebrity in committing an act like this,” Beshear said. “There’s just evil.”

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(NEW YORK) — As the embattled cliffside city of Rancho Palos Verdes continues to face indefinite utility shutoffs due to landslide risk, a neighboring Southern California community has lost gas services this week.

Officials from Rolling Hills, an adjacent city on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, announced that SoCal Gas shut off services to 34 homes in the area on Monday.

Additionally, electricity company Southern California Edison announced 51 households are preparing to lose power indefinitely no later than Wednesday evening, according to a statement from Rolling Hills officials.

This means services could be shut off any time before Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. PT, according to officials who note the utility companies are responsible for notifying customers of their service status.

Mayor Leah Mirsch released a statement Monday, saying, “The safety and well-being of our residents remains the City’s top priority.”

“We are all impacted by the outages and are committed to holding the utility companies accountable – pushing them to implement solutions that will restore services both quickly and safely,” Mirsch added.

Earlier this month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the Portuguese Bend area of Rancho Palos Verdes as SoCal Gas and Southern California Edison shut off services to nearly 250 residences due to broken pipes and power lines causing hazards.

Residents in the growing landslide zone, which officials said earlier this month had spread about 680 acres over the past year, were advised to leave the area following the loss of vital power.

Photos show foundational damage to multi-million dollar properties and the surrounding roadways have become a reality amid the increasingly shifting landscape.

Newsom said land movement in the area has “significantly accelerated following severe storms in 2023 and 2024.”

Larry Chung, vice president of electric utility company Southern California Edison (SCE), said during a community meeting this month that there’s “no timeframe” for power restoration in the impacted areas due to the instability of the land.

“We can not predict how much the slide will accelerate in the coming weeks and months,” Chung said.

The Rancho Pales Verdes Peninsula is located about 30 miles south of Los Angeles.

“There is no playbook for an emergency like this one,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who represents the area, said at a news conference on Sept. 1. “We’re sparing no expense. This is bigger than Rancho Palos Verdes. This land movement is so gigantic and so damaging that one city should not have to bear the burden alone.”

Hahn said at the time the county committed $5 million to respond to the disaster.

It has not been announced if L.A. County’s funding and Newsom’s executive order will extend to the Rolling Hills community.

Charlie Raine, a Rolling Hills resident, told ABC News affiliate KABC-TV he’s worried about his elderly neighbors in the wake of the shutoffs.

“There’s a lot of people that are dealing with this, and it’s overwhelming for them,” he told the outlet. “I’m somewhat capable of doing this for myself, certainly, and I feel sort of obligated to help other people try and get through this.”

Rolling Hills officials said the Rotary Club of Palos Verdes Peninsula is organizing donation efforts for residents who have been affected by the landslide.

Generator and solar installation permits are being expedited to support alternative power solutions, according to officials.

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