Helen is the deadliest storm on the mainland since Katrina in 2005.
Helene, which made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, damaged structures, caused flash flooding and knocked out power to millions of homes. As of Saturday, more than 500,000 homes were without electricity.
The U.S. government has said the cleanup could take years.
Most of the deaths occurred in North Carolina, but deaths also occurred in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
“This is my home,” Parton said during a Friday news conference outside a Walmart store in Newport, Tennessee.
“God has been good to me, and so has the public. If there’s anything I can do to give back in some way, I’m always willing to do it. I like to feel like I’m doing my part.”
“I’m just as heartbroken as everyone else, shocked and devastated by what happened,” the singer said, explaining that many of her relatives live in the area.
She added, “I feel like these people are all mine.”
According to the latest official count, 11 people have died so far in Tennessee due to the storm., externalThere is still more that hasn’t been explained.
In Erwin, in the state’s northeast, at least two factory workers were swept away by floodwaters.
