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Click here for Thursday, October 3, 2024 updates.
The following updates are from Wednesday, October 2, 2024:
UPDATED: 7:30 PM ET
President Biden is announcing details of Hurricane Helene relief efforts going to North Carolina. Speaking from the Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh Wednesday, the President said he approved Governor Cooper's request to cover 100% of the costs of debris removal and emergency protective measures for six months. Biden stressed the bipartisan efforts to help storm victims, saying there are no Democrats or Republicans, only Americans. He said their job is to help as many people as they can and as quickly and thoroughly as they can. The President's remarks came after he took an aerial tour of the areas hit hardest by flooding caused by Helene.
UPDATED: 6:15 PM ET
In a WLOS News 13 interview, Mitchell County's County Manager Allen Cook laid out the county's current conditions regarding needs, which include everything from cell service and internet to generators and food.
"We had extensive damage from Hurricane Helene, as it came through our area," said Cook. "We've had trees down, all our power, our internet grid, our mobile grid, our roads are washed out. Basically our county has been cut off since this storm system came through on Friday."
"We have had a 500 year, historic flood in Mitchell County. This flooding has impacted us on a long term basis," said Cook. "We are looking at our water, sewer structures in our municipalities. They basically have been wiped out. Our roads, we have had landslides, erosion along the sides where some of them are having to be rerouted for the danger of future. Our riverside community houses have been washed away in some areas."
UPDATED: 4:45 PM ET
At least 61 people are dead in the Asheville, North Carolina area after Hurricane Helene. Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller gave an update on the death toll at an afternoon briefing. Flooding in the Asheville and other parts of Buncombe County and Western North Carolina has been catastrophic. FEMA rescue teams are helping the North Carolina National Guard locate stranded people in the flooded mountain towns. Officials in Asheville say its water distribution system received catastrophic damage and they are still trying to assess the damage. Water and food distribution points have been set up as well as numerous shelters. Officials expect a lot of the power will be restored by Friday night to locations where power can be restored.
UPDATED: 3:00 PM ET
President Biden is visiting parts of western North Carolina today. The White House says he's holding a briefing in Raleigh at the Emergency Operations Center, and later taking an aerial tour of the areas hardest hit by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Helene. This, as Buncombe County authorities reported Tuesday, that the death toll has risen to almost 60 with property damage estimated to be in the billions.
UPDATED: 2:00 PM ET
Duke Energy is bringing in extra resources to try to turn the power back on for tens of thousands of customers in Western North Carolina. Jeff Brooks with the utility company says it will install a portable substation in Buncombe County over the next few days, specifically in Swannanoa. The temporary equipment will help distribute power around the area until long-term repairs are complete. Brooks says one of the challenges his team is facing is that some of the roads are washed out near substations. The utility is surveying those roads and preparing to bring in more temporary resources across the Carolinas. The goal is to get most of the power back on for customers by the end of Friday.
UPDATED: 1:30 PM ET
Health officials are offering tips to make sure North Carolinians are drinking safe water in the wake of Helene. The state Department of Health and Human Services says about 160 boil water advisories are in effect and more than two dozen water treatment plants are closed. The agency says it's critical that disaster-impacted areas do not use contaminated water to drink, wash, or prepare food since it can cause disease. Experts are urging residents to only use bottled, boiled, or treated water. A full list of safety tips are available on the state health department's website.
Dozens of animals are safe after they were evacuated from a Buncombe County shelter. The BISSELL Pet Foundation helped relocate more than one-hundred animals from the Asheville Humane Society this week. The pets were transferred by airplane to the Forsyth County Humane Society. The organization also flew in more than one-thousand pounds of supplies for staff members. The Asheville shelter posted on Facebook, saying the emergency evacuation will allow them to plan for how they can best serve the community during the long recovery. The facility is encouraging those who are able to donate money or gas.
More help is on the way to North Carolina towns devastated by Helene. A group of nearly two dozen Wake County first responders started their trip westward earlier this morning. The 20-member team includes fire officials from Garner, Holly Springs, Morrisville, and Zebulon. So far, the county has deployed more than one-hundred responders, as well as critical resources, to assist with recovery efforts in disaster-impacted communities.
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UPDATED: 10:45 AM ET
During a morning briefing, Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder said, "today marks our sixth day of search and rescue and our teams are continuing to go out and save lives. The devastation in our community is heart-wrenching."
"We have very skilled and technical rescue professionals working to save everyone we can, but in some areas this level of destruction could not be survived," said Pinder. "Our confirmed loss of life this morning remains at 57 people."
"Our food and water distribution open at noon today. Our goal is to grow these sites and offer more. Please continue to bring jugs to refill," said Pinder.
"We continue to see calls for 911 slowly decrease in volume, but non-emergency calls are not decreasing. We have support from four call centers around our state to assist with our 911 overflow call volume," said Pinder.
Ashville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Maggie Fehrman addressed the issues facing the school system. "I want to bring prayers to our community and to all those in the surrounding communities that have been impacted by this horrific event," said Fehrman. "We know that the road to recovery is going to take awhile and we are still in the inventory phase for our school system trying to determine which of our resources, what we have and what we are able to do with what we have."
UPDATE 6:00 AM ET
Power outages still remain for over 300,000 people in the Western North Carolina part of the state. Most people in some counties like Yancey, Mitchell and Transylvania remain without electricity. Communities in Asheville and Buncombe County are looking at weeks without water due to main lines being washed away.
The death toll from the aftermath of Helene is continuing to rise. Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller reported yesterday that 57 people have died from storm-relate injuries locally. Five deaths have also been reported in Avery County. The total number across the southeast has grown to over 160.
Many roads in Western North Carolina are closed. The governor reported yesterday that 400 roads are currently impassable in the mountain region. Anyone who doesn't need to be in WNC is being asked to stay out for now. FEMA is providing close to 20 trailers of food and water across the area. More than two-dozen shelters are taking in those in need.
A number of schools in Asheville are closed indefinitely. A-B Tech, the Asheville City district and also Polk County have all stated there's no definite timeline on when classes may be able to resume. Asheville's superintendent stated yesterday that their largest problems are lack of water and transportation. Classes at UNC-Asheville are suspended until at least next Wednesday.
A new shelter is being set up in south Asheville. A handful of people from the American Red Cross were helping set up 150-beds at a former Gold's Gym on Hendersonville Road. Crew members will rotate in and out for 24-hours a day to provide aid. A shower trailer will also be delivered to the site.
Shelters outside of Asheville are helping take in animals. The Charlotte Humane Society is offering discounts on adoptions in light of storm damages. The organization brought in rescues from Asheville this week. Through Thursday, Charlotte is taking 50-percent off adoptions costs to find animals new homes. The Asheville Humane Society had to evacuate roughly 100 animals from its location.
Below are updates from Tuesday, October 1, 2024:
UPDATE 8:00 PM ET
President Biden says his top priority is getting the areas impacted by Hurricane Helene the help and support they need. The president will tour areas hit by the deadly storm by air on Wednesday. Biden said despite all preparations, Helene was a storm of unprecedented and historic proportions. More than 130 people have been killed by the storm. Biden stressed they will not leave the area until the relief efforts are complete.
UPDATE: 7:30 PM ET
Officials say they are working around the clock to restore water service to the area, but transmission lines have been destroyed in the flooding.
City of Asheville Water Resources Department spokesman Clay Chandler says, "we have experienced catastrophic damage to our production systems."
"There are large sections of the water line that were washed down the river and we haven't even found them yet," said Chandler."
Chandler says the storm also stirred up the water in the entire reservoir. "We can't treat it because its too cloudy, its too murky, it sort of has a chocolate milk appearance."
Chandler says they are working as fast as possible to restore service and are making progress.
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UPDATE: 7:00 PM ET
Black Mountain's water and sewer system remains down and a restoration time is unknown, town leaders said in a press release Tuesday.
"Water restoration within the Town of Black Mountain will be dependent on the North Fork water line, which received significant damage," the release said.
Power was restored to parts of downtown, but the majority of Black Mountain, Montreat and Ridgecrest remain without power.
UPDATE: 6:30 PM ET
Drone footage shows the devastating aftermath of Helene's flooding. Towns covered in mud, roads washed out and mudslides can be seen in in Old Fort, Black Mountain, and Swannanoa.
UPDATE: 4:30 PM ET
At least 57 people are dead in the Asheville, North Carolina area after Hurricane Helene. Flooding in Asheville and other parts of Buncombe County and Western North Carolina is described as being at "biblical" levels. Its been flattened with floods and mudslides and the looks like a war zone, making search and rescue operations very difficult.
UPDATE: 3:00 PM ET
More first responders from around North Carolina are heading westward to help with Helene recovery efforts. Task Force 8 is a search-and-rescue team made up of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill firefighters. They will spend at least one week in the town of Weaverville in Buncombe County. A similar group already in Western North Carolina has helped with five water rescues, more than two dozen evacuations, and found safe shelter for dozens of other victims in Haywood County. In addition to local assistance, there are more than four-hundred National Guard members on the ground, as well as first responders from several other states.
UPDATE: 2:30 PM ET
US senators and congressmen from North Carolina held a press conference at the WNC Farmers Market. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, U.S. Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, and U.S. Representatives David Rouzer, Greg Murphy and Chuck Edwards discuss ongoing relief efforts, storm damage and community needs.
"I think what we have to do now is recognize that there is an active rescue operation going on and the best thing we can do is to stay out of the way of the professionals and volunteers and everyone that is doing that," said Tillis. "Our primary reason for being here is because of the unique nature of this storm. We've got to be prepared to be in this for the long haul."
"I want to thank American Red Cross, Baptist on Mission, all the volunteers of people on the ground 24-7 providing aid," said Tillis.
Senator Budd said, "this is a tough season for Western North Carolina. We've also reached out to our colleagues in the eastern part of Tennessee and those down i Georgia, and our prayers are with them as well."
"I want to thank all the law enforcement, the volunteer firemen, the full time firemen, and all first responders. Everyone here, highway patrol, every single agency is working together," said Budd.
UPDATE: 12:30 PM ET
During a news conference today, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said, "our joint response effort has and will continue to be massive. No matter who or where you are in Western North Carolina, if you need help, we are working around the clock to reach you."
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UPDATE: 11:30 AM ET
The city of Asheville has announced another water distribution site. The site at Asheville Middle School will be open until dark. Earlier officials had announced a site at Pack Square.
There are four water distribution sites activated in Buncombe County. Officials says the distribution sites are located at:
- Sandy Hill Elementary
- North Windy Ridge Intermediate School
- Fairview Elementary School
- Estes Elementary School
There are six distribution sites in Henderson County:
- Etowah Elementary
- Rugby Middle
- East Henderson High
- North Henderson High
- Mills River Town Hall
- Fletcher Town Hall
Woodfin Police Department said food, water and 500 meals will be handed out at the Town Hall located at 90 Elk Mountain Road, starting at 2 p.m.
For a complete list of resources, including information on water, gas, cell service and supplies, check out this link.
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UPDATE: 11:00 AM ET
Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder said during a briefing this morning that teams are still very much in active search and rescue mode. "We are reaching out and trying to find those individuals who may still be trapped in their homes," said Pinder. "We are also doing active recovery and right now I can not provide an update beyond the 40 members of the community that we loss. As of right now, I am still only confirming that there were 40 loss of lives in Buncombe County. We know that it is important for our community to know the names of these loved ones who we have lost and we are working to get that to you."
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UPDATE 6:30 AM ET
President Joe Biden is planning a visit to the state tomorrow to tour communities damaged from the remnants of Hurricane Helene. He's expected to first visit the Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh before viewing cities and towns mostly concentrated in the western half of the state. Biden has said he didn't want to disrupt recovery efforts.
The death toll is rising from flooding in Western North Carolina. Five more deaths have been reported in Buncombe County, bringing the total to at least 40. Power outages remain above 350-thousand homes in the region. Some counties like Yancey, Mitchell and Henderson are almost completely without electricity. Rutherford EMC reported yesterday that it could be weeks before power could be fully restored locally.
State, federal and local officials are working together to provide resources to people in Western North Carolina that were impacted by Hurricane Helene. That includes food, water and critical supplies to affected areas. Governor Cooper has activated More than 400 National Guard Personnel. Search and rescue teams have rescued more than 500 people. There have been dozens of storm-related deaths in North Carolina, with dozens more who have been reported missing.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has delivered over a million liters of water and over 600,000 meals in North Carolina as the state recovers from Hurricane Helene. Governor Roy Cooper made the announcement on Monday, saying there was a lot to be done in the short term. Over 90 search and rescue teams are also working across the state. At least 120 people are dead across six states, with a third of those deaths coming in Western North Carolina, including Asheville.
A non-profit organization is helping provide meals to those in need in the Asheville area. World Central Kitchen sent in helicopters yesterday to an empty parking lot so that food could be loaded and sent to surrounding communities. One representative with the organization told WLOS-TV that they scouted out the area, and will also be sending out truckloads of meals.
Buncombe County is distributing water in several locations. Sand Hills Elementary, William W. Estes Elementary, North Windy Ridge Intermediate School and Fairview Elementary School will be site for pick-up today until six this evening. A boil water advisory is in place for those who can receive service at this time. Gallon containers of water were also handed out at Pack Square Park in Asheville yesterday.
Close to 300 roads in the mountain region remain closed due to storm damage. North Carolina's Secretary of Transportation told the Citizen-Times yesterday that if you don't live here, we don't want you here. That's the message for now due to the heavy amount of damage across the area, as thousands of FEMA employees and National Guard troops help provide relief.