The destruction left behind by Hurricane Helene could alter the outcome of the presidential election given its impact on 1 million battleground state residents.

After Hurricane Helene, residents of Swannanoa, a mountain town in North Carolina, return to flattened homes, impassable roads and raw emotions.

As communities continue to grapple with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, one family from Asheville is finding refuge in one of our hometowns.

The Tar Heel State has become a major battleground for the 2024 presidential election. In 2020, incumbent Republican Trump carried the state against Democratic challenger Joe Biden by just 1.3%. In 2016, Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in North Carolina by less than 4% of the vote.

Hurricane Helene has left a wake of death and destruction across Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee after it made landfall in Florida on Sept. 26. Despite being downgraded to a tropical depression, hundreds were killed by the storm, millions are still without power, and the damage is estimated in the billions of dollars.

North Carolina residents are continuing clean-up efforts after massive flooding and mud spread Hurricane Helene debris across towns. CBS News' Janet Shamlian has more from Charlotte.