Published: Sep. 29, 2024 at 6:46 PM EDT FRIES, Va. (WDBJ) - Fries is a little town in Grayson County that has been hit hard with flooding, devastation, and power outages following Hurricane Helene. “It was powerful and it brought an enormous amount of rain and wind into into the region, particularly in Southwest, and we’ve seen Virginians that have have lost everything,” said Gov. Glenn Youngkin. “It’s heart wrenching.” Residents are now trying to get back on their feet following the devastation. Sunday, Fries was one of the stops Gov. Youngkin made by while assessing damages in Southwest Virginia. “What has been, I think, most startling is the damage, particularly in the New River Valley has seen as the water level was at a historic high,” said the Governor. Fries is still without power and dealing with significant flooding. Youngkin is trying to assure residents that helping the town is a top priority. “We’ve got crews in, restoring electrical service, we’ve got crews in with temporary cell towers, we’ve got generators being moved all over the area in order to get water supplies back up and running,” he said. “We’ve also got food supplies moving all over the region, water and meals.” Gov. Youngkin said it takes a village to come back from this kind of destruction and that’s the same support he says he’s seeing in Fries. “I want to say how proud I am of Virginians and our first responders have been amazing. We had over 70 rescues that save lives and our heroes from all across the state who came to support our local first responders,” he said. “I’m just so grateful for all of them.” Officials said the road to recovery is going to be a long one. They encourage any residents who need help to visit vaemergency.gov for assistance. Governor Youngkin meets with Radford city and Radford University police (WDBJ7) Governor Youngkin left Radford, the last stop on his tour of southwest Virginia, around 5:15 p.m. after having visited Independence, Fries, Narrows and Pembroke. He spoke with leaders of the city and Radford University. He thanked police officers and others for their response. He also thanked President Biden for approving Virginia’s emergency declaration. First Lady Suzanne Youngkin was traveling with the governor. 9th District congressman Morgan Griffith, Delegate Jason Ballard and senator Travis Hackworth were there as well. Also on hand were members of Radford city Council, Mayor David Horton, and Radford University President Bret Danilowicz. Copyright 2024 WDBJ. All rights reserved. Most Read