More than 150 dead as communities begin recovery

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1.3 million energy customers still without power

Patrick SmithPatrick Smith is a London-based editor and reporter for NBC News Digital.

While the lights are back on in some communities, the wait goes on for many.

More than 1.3 million energy customers are still in the dark as of 4 a.m. ET today.

Almost 500,000 customers are out in South Carolina, followed by almost 380,00 in Georgia and almost 350,000 in North Carolina.

Some 4 million customers were without power in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene.