Tropical Storm Helene devastated Asheville and Western North Carolina, destroying roads, downing power lines and demolishing entire towns. See aerial images of the damage.

Under pressure to control housing costs, Republican lawmakers rejected standards meant to protect against disasters, experts say.

Initial impacts from Helene — which hit the Carolinas as a tropical storm — are over. But hundreds of thousands are still without power, dozens of roads are closed, and risks of flooding remain.