A hundred years from now, they will be talking about this flood,” said one resident in Western North Carolina, where the extent of the disaster is only beginning to emerge.

Nearly 400 miles from where Hurricane Helene made landfall, the North Carolina mountain hamlet of Chimney Rock Village has been all but wiped off the map.

North Carolina General Assembly leaders said Friday that they’re prepared to approve initial disaster relief next week to address Hurricane Helene damage. House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger said in a joint news release that details are still being worked out about exactly what is needed now to facilitate the state’s response.

Track Saturday's forecast for what forecasters predict will become Hurricane Milton. A developing storm in the Gulf of Mexico promises to bring heavy, potentially flooding rain to Florida starting Sunday and lasting into much of next week.

Florida could see a Category 2 hurricane hit next week, bringing surge and high winds to the recovering west coast and serious flood risks to South and Central Florida. The National Hurricane Center’s first cone of uncertainty for Tropical Depression 10 puts it on an eastward path through the Gulf of Mexico and into Florida’s west coast on Wednesday — a second blow for a region still catching its breath from the devastating Category 4 Hurricane Helene.