President Joe Biden said in a statement that he is "deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation" caused by Hurricane Helene.

"As the storm continues to track north, Vice President [Kamala] Harris and I remain focused on life-saving and life-sustaining response and recovery efforts," Biden said.

He also said that he will be with affected Americans "every step of the way" during recovery efforts.

"We will make certain that no resource is spared to ensure that families, businesses, schools, hospitals, and entire communities can quickly begin their road to rebuilding," Biden said.

-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart

Georgia saw a historic 11 inches of rainfall from the combination of Hurricane Helene and a storm earlier in the week.

Helene sparked flash flooding and mudslides, and destruction includes crumbled buildings, fallen trees and downed power lines, officials said.

From the air, Gov. Brian Kemp said the damage "looks like a bomb went off."

Seventeen people have been killed from Helene in Georgia and officials warned "that number will most likely climb as a result of … the cleanup process, due to dangerous situations."

Georgia Power CEO Kim Greene said Helene caused "an unprecedented level of damage." Compared to last year’s Hurricane Idalia, she said Helene caused more than double the amount of damage to the company's distribution system, and significantly more to the transmission system, complicating restoration efforts.

Officials are urging residents to stay off the roads.

"Be patient, help your neighbor, and thank these first responders," Kemp said.

Helene has left the bridge network across the Nolichucky River in Greene County, Tennessee -- along the Tennessee-North Carolina border -- severely compromised.

While the bridge on Asheville Highway remains standing, it faces significant damage. Residents south of the river, especially in the vicinity of Highway 107, are facing critical challenges, with many of them isolated cut off from basic services like food, water and medical care, officials said. Efforts are underway to bring aid to isolated areas, officials said.

Greene County is also facing a looming water crisis after the water intake at the Nolichucky River was destroyed by debris. The Tennessee Valley Authority assessed the condition of the nearby dam and declared it under "Condition Red.”

The county’s water supply is in critical condition, with only 36 to 48 hours of reserves left. The local water commission has urged residents to conserve water.

-ABC News’ Jason Volack

Helene’s "fierce" and "unstoppable" storm surge has left some homes in Florida completely obliterated and "just rubble," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Saturday.

The storm surge was more than 15 feet in some spots -- much more significant than from other recent storms, he said.

Eleven people in Florida were killed from the storm, but none of the fatalities were in Taylor County, where Helene made landfall, the governor said.

He credited local officials and residents for heeding evacuation orders.

"If you had told me there was going to be 15 to 18 feet of storm surge, I would have expected multiple fatalities. The fact that there weren’t any here is a testament to the preparedness of the community," he said.