Other WRAL Top Stories
- Helene is now responsible for more than 200 deaths in the U.S., including 89 deaths in North Carolina.
- There are 57 confirmed deaths in Buncombe County.
- At least 12 people have died in Black Mountain, Chief Wade Wright confirmed.
- Among those killed is a Fairview Volunteer Fire Department employee who died during rescue operations Friday.
- Wifi password: readmore
As of Wednesday afternoon, state data shows Helene is responsible for 89 deaths in North Carolina.
Biden’s visit to the Carolinas came as the death toll from the storm rose to more than 175 people on Wednesday, making Helene the deadliest hurricane to strike the mainland United States since Katrina, which caused nearly 1,400 deaths in 2005, according to statistics from the National Hurricane Center.
Here is the number of deaths by county, according to the state:
- Ashe: 1
- Avery: 3
- Buncombe: 57 (figure provided by the county)
- Burke: 1
- Catawba: 1
- Cleveland: 2
- Gaston: 1
- Henderson: 6
- Macon: 1
- Madison: 1
- Mecklenburg: 1
- Polk: 1
- Rutherford: 1
- Watauga: 2
- Yadkin: 1
- Yancey: 8
There are 57 confirmed deaths in Buncombe County, officials said Tuesday afternoon. At least 12 people have died in Black Mountain, the fire chief announced Tuesday.
"Devastation does not even begin to describe how we feel," Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller said.
Search-and-rescue efforts are ongoing in the western part of the state.
"We're still very much in active search and rescue," Buncombe County Town Manager Avril Pinder said Tuesday morning.
To help with the aftermath of Helene, President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that 1,000 active-duty soldiers from Fort Liberty will be deployed to reinforce the National Guard and support the delivery of food, water, medicine and other critical supplies to western N.C. communities.
Buncombe County leaders shared a few other stats about the damage by Helene:
- There are 1,100 people are in shelters throughout North Carolina and 57,000 people have applied for FEMA assistance.
- To learn how you can apply, click here.
Some of the hardest hit areas in western North Carolina have been the hardest to reach.
These rural communities have been largely isolated as a result of the damage caused by Helene. Critical supplies are finally arriving, thanks to volunteers flying from the Raleigh Executive Jetport in Sanford.
1,000 Fort Liberty soldiers to deploy to western NC
It was announced Wednesday that 1,000 soldiers from Fort Liberty's Infantry Battalion Task Force will be deployed to western North Carolina to help with recovery efforts.
These soldiers are being deployed in addition to the support provided by the Department of Defense (DoD) and FEMA in response to Hurricane Helene. Here's a quick overview:
- U.S. Army and U.S. Navy helicopters, soldiers, and sailors to provide critical capability to move personnel and supplies in areas where access via roads is not available or viable.
- U.S. Air Force aircraft, helicopters, and airmen to provide search-and-rescue capabilities.
- U.S. Army soldiers and high wheeled vehicles to move personnel and supplies over roads and terrain damaged or impassable to normal vehicles.
- The Army Corps of Engineers is supporting with response efforts with Temporary Power Teams and subject matter experts to support for debris removal, water and wastewater management, and bridge inspections.
The DoD has activated 22 helicopters to aid in search and rescue operations and provided dozens of high-water vehicles. Hundreds of National Guard service members are assisting with debris removal, air lifts, search and rescue, road clearance, commodities and transport.
Cooper said air assets are a top priority.
"We have a lot of air assets coming in from all across the country," he said. "Gen. Hunt is helping to manage that now."
He said water system issues will require longer-term assistance.
"We know that this crisis will likely be a sustained crisis because of water system issues so we know that is going to be a continuing operation," Cooper said. "I want to make sure we get every single resource that we possibly can into North Carolina for what may be a long haul to make sure that we’re continuing to get water and supplies into western North Carolina."
Officials did not have an estimate of the number of people who are missing.
President Joe Biden has made additional disaster assistance available to the state of North Carolina to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by Helene. The president authorized the federal cost-share to be increased from 75% to 100% for the first 180 days of the incident period.
Water systems destroyed by Helene
Cooper said there is "significant damage" to water systems throughout western North Carolina. A boil water advisory remains in effect.
Authorities said, as of Sunday, 52 water systems were without power, and an additional 93 systems are under a boil water advisory. It's unclear how long it will take to repair these water systems, but authorities said it could take quite some time.
"The damage to Asheville's water system is catastrophic," said Assistant City Manager Ben Woody. "We have a severely damaged water system."
Woody said the water department is working 24/7 to restore water to the community, but it could take weeks.
Pinder said the county has been working with private contractors to ensure the community has water until grocery stores are open and water systems are back online.
Buncombe County set up four distribution centers Monday to provide food and meals. Bottles of water and bags of food are being handed out at the following distribution centers:
- William W. Estes Elementary School - 275 Overlook Road, Asheville
- Sand Hill Elementary - 154 Sand Hill School Road, Asheville (Please enter via Acton Circle)
- North Windy Ridge Intermediate School - 20 Doan Road, Weaverville
- Fairview Elementary School - 1355 Charlotte Highway, Fairview
- Water is also being distributed at Pack Square Park. Please bring your own container to this location.
Pinder said these are drive-thru and walk-up distribution centers. Residents can get two gallons of water – or a maximum of five gallons per family.
More distribution centers will be set up Tuesday in Asheville, county officials announced Monday evening. According to the county's latest update at 10 a.m., they still have only four distribution centers at this time.
"We are working to open up a fifth," Pinder said during a news conference Tuesday morning.
If water runs out while you're standing in line, Pinder said you can stay in line until box trucks arrive with more water – unless otherwise instructed.
"We have been replenishing those sites throughout the day," Pinder said.
Hundreds of thousands still without power in western NC
No water, no power, no cell service: This is the reality for thousands of residents in western North Carolina. Residents are unable to contact loved ones or call for help, and flooding has left roads impassable and residents trapped in the mountains.
As of 8 a.m. Thursday, more than 307,000 customers remain without power in North Carolina, according to poweroutage.us. The number of outages in North Carolina has fluctuated since Saturday afternoon, which saw more than 700,000 customers without power.
In Buncombe County, more than 92,000 customers remain without power Wednesday morning. That number decreased to about 8,000 for a brief period Sunday, but totals shot back up shortly after.
State and local leaders said on Sunday that they'll focus on restoring power to hospitals, schools and other essential services first.
The catastrophic damage in these mountain cities and towns – which some are comparing to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans – has made restoration efforts difficult.
There's no timetable for when power could be restored.
Communication outages in the western part of the state have also left many residents unable to contact loved ones or call for help.
A temporary cellular satellite trailer has been installed at the Family Justice Center (35 Woodfin Place) in Asheville to provide limited cell reception within several blocks. Emergency officials said for people in the area to turn their cell phone off, then back on to connect to temporarily service.
Verizon is supporting relief efforts across affected areas. For those without service or power, Verizon has deployed wireless emergency communication centers at key locations, providing 24/7 access to device charging, WiFi and cellular services.
These centers are located at:
- South Central Elementary, 2955 TN-107, Chuckey, TN
- First Baptist Church, 5 Oak St, Asheville, NC
- Groce United Methodist Church, 954 Tunnel Rd, Asheville, NC
Wifi is also available at West Asheville Library (942 Haywood Rd.) and Pack Memorial Library (67 Haywood Street). The wifi password is "readmore."
Aside from having no power or cell service, many residents are also unable to get gas.
County officials said they have gas tanks for emergency vehicles, but there's still no way for the general public to get gas.
Brittany Neal hasn't been able to see her children because she can't find anywhere to get gas.
"I can’t get home. I haven’t seen my kids. I’m tired. I'm hungry. [I] still have no power," Neal said. "I have no gas to get to my kids. I don’t know where to get gas."
At Appalachian State University, several academic buildings have significant water damage, including Walker Hall, Rankin Science Building, Varsity Gym and the academic areas of Holmes Convocation Center. ASU did not have an update on how the school will proceed with operations beyond Oct. 4.
Road conditions remain dangerous as some interstates reopen
- Traffic lights are not working in several areas because of widespread power outages.
- Remember to treat intersections like a 4-way stop.
- Whoever stops first gets to go first.
- For more information, go to ncdot.gov.
Interstate 40 East has reopened – and part of I-40 West also reopened – in Buncombe County. Interstate 26 East is also open.
All roads in western North Carolina are still considered closed, and non-emergency travel is prohibited.
Buncombe County officials are encouraging organizations to use this as an opportunity to bring food, water and other supplies to western N.C. communities. Those evacuating the area can now use I-40 East and I-26 East to leave the area.
There are currently 106 active incidents on main roads in North Carolina and 454 active incidents on secondary roads, according to DriveNC.gov. The number of road incidents has more than doubled since Monday morning – when there were only 43 active incidents on main roads and 147 on secondary roads.
This could be a result of people trying to navigate roads that are impassable.
Hospitals overwhelmed in wake of Helene
Mission Hospital in Asheville has more than 700 patients, as of Tuesday morning.
Officials said there have been 900 emergency room (ER) visits since Helene hit the area. As of Tuesday morning, more than 80 patients in the ER were waiting to be admitted to the hospital.
County officials said Tuesday that 10 mobile units were on the way to the hospital to help with overcrowding.
In addition, several Mercy Urgent Care locations across Buncombe County are now open for walk-ins and non-emergency medical treatment.
Mission My Care Now in Biltmore Park is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 310 Long Shoals Rd., according to the Mission Health's Instagram.
If you are in need of medical attention, call 911. For non-emergencies, you can go to one of the open Mercy Urgent Care clinics.
For disability assistance, contact the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies Disability & Disaster Hotline at 1-800-626-4959 or hotline@disasterstrategies.org.
How to get your medications refilled
To see the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy's updated list of open pharmacies in western N.C., click here. Some pharmacies may not be listed.
Emergency rules allow you to bring in your existing prescription bottle to get a 30- or 90-day refill at any open pharmacy, even if your usual pharmacy is closed – and even if you have no remaining refills listed on your bottle. This does not include refills for schedule 2 controlled substances like pain pills or ADHD medications.
Remember to bring your prescription bottles. If you are not able to travel, someone other than the patient can pick up the prescription (ID may be required for certain medications).