Officials in Pinellas County, Florida, today announced an additional storm-related death, bringing the county’s total to 12. Fifteen deaths have been reported in the state overall. 

That brings the Helene death toll to at least 176 across six states, according to a count by NBC News.

Biden will travel to Florida and Georgia tomorrow to visit communities affected by Hurricane Helene, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Air Force One.

Jean-Pierre did not specify where in Florida and Georgia Biden will go. He is visiting South Carolina and North Carolina to survey the storm damage, while Harris is visiting Georgia and will speak about the response efforts.

NBC News contributor Dr. Kavita Patel, a primary care physician who served in the Obama administration, said hospitals in North Carolina are working in "Third World conditions" in the wake of Helene's wrath.

She described the shortages hospitals face as the state slowly recovers but still grapples with power outages and a shortage of critical supplies.

"What’s really amazing is that these medical personnel, even friends of mine that are doctors in that area, are resorting to things like Amazon wish list," she said on "Andrea Mitchell Reports" this afternoon.

"They’re asking for those tablets to help sanitize and kind of make drinkable their water supplies. So, I mean, we’re dealing with literally kind of Third World conditions in a developed country like the United States, but that’s what can happen when Mother Nature and these unexpected forces all collide," she added.

About 1.3 million registered voters live in the 25 counties in western North Carolina that have been designated as a disaster area following Hurricane Helene, according to the State Board of Elections

Ten county election offices were closed this morning.

Officials are working to reopen them as quickly as possible to process new absentee ballot requests and to complete voter registrations, Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections, said at a briefing yesterday.

It's a pressing task, as absentee voting is already underway, the voter registration deadline is Oct. 11, and early in-person voting begins Oct. 17.

A website has been launched for voters affected by Helene in North Carolina.

“When disasters strike elections, we use this mantra: ‘We do not stop an election; we figure out how to proceed,’” Bell said Monday. “While we do not know exactly what is ahead, our guiding force between now and Election Day will be to do everything possible to ensure every eligible North Carolina voter can cast their ballot. Natural disasters have affected elections here in the recent past. As we did at those times, we will conduct a safe, secure and successful election in 2024.”

Duke Energy, a power and gas company, said 370 substations were out of service from Helene in the Carolinas service area. 

As water levels recede the damage to power stations has come to light, some littered with debris. On X the company quoted spokesperson Bill Norton as saying, “We had entire substations that were underwater.”

In a statement yesterday, Duke energy said it had restored power to 566,000 customers in South Carolina and 363,000 upstate remained without power. In North Carolina the company restored 1 million customer outages but 284,000 customers in the mountain region remain without power.

For substations that were damaged and can’t be repaired quickly, “mobile substations will be installed to allow us to restore service as soon as it is safe to do so,” the company wrote on X.

ASHEVILLE — A grandmother with her daughter and two young grandchildren arrived at a food bank in Asheville in tears this morning, saying the little ones haven't eaten in days.

Tanya Peterson spoke with NBC's Antonia Hylton about the dire conditions her community in Candler has been left in since Helene hit.

“We have no water, we have no power, no one’s coming through the small back areas and the back roads,” she explained. “That’s where we need the help, a lot of it. We’ve got trees down on the house, we’ve got big trees still on power lines.”

“We’ve got people looting gas, coming through your yard, it’s awful, it’s awful and no one’s come through to check in on us. No one,” Peterson added tearfully. She said she can’t get through to county officials for help.

Peterson said her mother is at home and is disabled with heart problems and her son-in-law's mother, who is on oxygen, has run out. She said that they've been running what little gas they have out of a car for their generator "to heat water up for the baby."

Speaking on her family's needs she said: “They need food, they need water, the baby needs wipes. They need clean clothes or some kind of washing material we can wash with, my hand at least ... We need gas for the car, gas for the generator so we can get around to find this stuff for my mom, his mom and these children.”

At the food bank she was able to stock up on food, water and baby wipes.

As of 11 a.m. ET, 1.28 million customers in the Southeast are without power, according to PowerOutage.Us.

In South Carolina, more than 490,000 customers are without service, in Georgia more than 360,000, North Carolina more than 346,000, Florida 46,000 and Virginia more than 42,000 are out.

The Hurricane Helene death toll has risen to 175.

North Carolina’s death toll stands at at least 90, according to a count by NBC News.

Florida has reported 14 deaths, Georgia 25, South Carolina 36, Tennessee eight deaths, and Virginia two deaths.

President Joe Biden announced today he’s directed the Defense Department to deploy up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers to reinforce the North Carolina National Guard, aiding in the delivery of supplies, food and water to isolated communities. 

The forces will be available for deployment starting today.

Biden’s also due to travel to North Carolina and South Carolina today where he’ll survey Helene-impacted areas by air, receive operational briefings, and meet with first responders and local officials. 

“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 said.