Patients and their caregivers sought shelter on a Tennessee hospital's roof after flooding caused by Hurricane Helene drove them from the building's interior and conditions made rescue efforts difficult.

The dramatic scene was one of several played out across the southern U.S., with thousands of police officers, firefighters, National Guard members and others deployed on rescue missions. Local authorities in Florida asked residents to stay off roads, as downed power lines and debris made some areas inaccessible. As of the evening of September 27, more than 650,000 Florida residents had no power, according to poweroutage.us.