Live Updates: 123 fatalities in NC; Asheville details repair milestone for water system

Laura Hackett

Shortly after Helene devastated the region’s infrastructure, shorting out utilities and wiping out key infrastructure, Asheville’s Housing Authority plastered flyers on its residents’ doors, informing tenants that rent was still due for October.

“Rent for the month of October IS still be due and will be collected as soon as the property offices reopen,” the flier said. “Late fees will not be assessed for the month of October.”

Monique Pierre, the CEO of the housing authority, made an appearance on Friday at Klondyke Homes in Montford, along with the acting HUD Secretary Adrianne Todman. Todman and Pierre toured an empty unit as part of a private media event.

Most complexes, including the Klondyke development, lost power, water, cell service and internet access as a result of Helene. Fallen trees damaged cars and other property. And, without water, residents have relied on outside help to accomplish basic tasks such as flushing their toilets and finding hot meals.

When asked about the flyers, Pierre said that their purpose was just to “let residents know that they would not be receiving any late fees.”

“We had residents bringing us rent or attempting to bring rent when the offices were closed. We wanted to make sure that, if they came, that they understood what their options were,” she said.

Pierre also added that residents were “being notified that if they experience hardship that we immediately take their rent down to zero.”

“But we can't just carte blanche,” she continued. “We have to make sure that we serve our residents individually.”

Photo courtesy of Nick MacLeod

When asked if the housing authority had done any specific outreach about rent beyond the fliers, Pierre said that nothing had been done “at this time.”

Thousands of people, including residents and advocates, have reached out to Pierre to consider a general rent freeze, Nick MacLeod, an organizer with the North Carolina Tenants Union, told BPR.

“I've received hundreds of emails,” Pierre confirmed Friday. “It's not very helpful to be spammed. It impedes communication.”

BPR asked Todman, the acting HUD Secretary, what options the housing authority had for tenants during a natural disaster.

Todman said that in other disaster zones, housing authorities often used rent abatement and rent forgiveness. Ultimately, though, the decision to waive or pause rent lies with Pierre, she said.

BPR pressed Pierre for more details on whether or not she might waive rent for tenants, but she did not supply any.

“With regard to their rent, there’s more to come,” she told BPR.

Asheville’s Veterans Affairs hospital is running on emergency water but has been able to see patients, Department of Veteran Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough said on Thursday.

After Hurricane Helene caused damage and devastation across Western North Carolina at the end of September, the VA hospital in Asheville began to reopen Oct. 5. McDonough said doctors, nurses and staff have braved the storm conditions to come to work everyday.

“We're now on power. Like so many in Asheville and in Western North Carolina, we have access to emergency water, but we're not on commercial water. But we've had about 140 veterans inpatient in the hospital throughout this,” McDonough said.

He says the VA hospital is “increasingly open” for walk-in care. Those who need to reschedule an appointment will be contacted or can call: 855-679-0074.

McDonough also visited the VA’s emergency shelter at the Agriculture Center in Fletcher, which was housing 52 veterans on Oct. 10. McDonough said they were moved into a new setting on Thursday and that they’ve been receiving care from the American Red Cross and VA staff.

McDonough said many veterans are still in remote areas of the region. He said that the VA has been able to get in touch with about 92% of “vulnerable veterans” in the region, and delivering oxygen and other medications is a priority.

“I heard about a 96-year-old veteran in Barnardsville to whom we delivered emergency oxygen prescription updates because he's up there with his 96-year-old wife,” McDonough said.

“We're using side-by-sides. We have teams that are out constantly. I just heard a story today about a team that hiked up a month a mile yesterday to deliver oxygen and water to a veteran...We won't stop until we've reached 100% of our vulnerable veterans.”

McDonough did not share any veteran fatalities at this time.

“I am here hearing very tragic stories, but those are not my stories to tell,” McDonough said.

Here are the VA’s resources for veterans impacted by Helene: https://www.va.gov/asheville-health-care/programs/updates-and-resources/

The Veterans Disaster Response Line for 24/7 help is 1-800-507-4571.

There were no additional fatalities confirmed by North Carolina authorities on Saturday, Oct. 12, and search and rescue efforts and recovery continue across the region.

The latest information available shows 123 people died in North Carolina during the floods, landslides, and aftermath of the disaster. Of those deaths reported so far, 116 of the victims were in 14 counties across Western North Carolina, including 72 fatalities in Buncombe County.

The majority of these deaths with a known cause were the result of drownings. Twenty people drowned during the storm, while four people drowned in a motor vehicle.

Buncombe County Schools Superintendent Rob Jackson confirmed that four students are part of the death toll in the county on Friday. Their names have not been shared.

Laura Hackett

At an emergency meeting on Friday, the Buncombe County School Board heard a somber update on the status of its students and facilities.

Superintendent Rob Jackson confirmed that four students have died, although their names were not shared.

"I'm extremely broken hearted to share that since the storm's arrival we have lost four of our students," he said. "The loss of anyone diminishes us. Our school system is diminished by this loss."

Jackson added that the school system has seen "significant numbers of our staff members who have lost family and friends."

The fatality count in Buncombe County is at 72 as of Friday.

There are 21 students still unaccounted for, out of more than 22,000 students in the county school system. The county has made contact with 100% of its staff.

Meanwhile, the system still has no timeline for reopening its 45 schools, primarily due to the lack of running water, which is the biggest hurdle.

Jackson said he’s “losing sleep” over how to solve the problem. In a normal situation, he said he would have never considered running a school without functional water systems, but he is “absolutely determined to reopen the schools” as soon as possible.

“In my 33 years, if we didn’t have water, we sent students home. We closed schools. We couldn’t imagine operating schools without water. Water is crucial to the operation of a building,” he said.

He explained that schools use water for pressurized sprinklers, sanitation and hygiene, and the more than 44,000 meals the system prepares for students each day.

Of the county’s 45 schools, only 13 have running water. All but one have power and all but six have internet access.

When pushed on the issue, Jackson said he would not consider reopening some schools while others remain closed, citing unfairness to the more than 4,500 students who would not be able to return to school with their peers.

He also said the county school system is not planning to follow Asheville City Schools’ idea of drilling its own wells.

Jackson said one possible solution could be combining classrooms and campuses into the functional facilities and shortening school days.

Another solution could be to import large cisterns of water into the 32 schools currently without running water and use a pump system to move the water through the facility, but the schools would need roughly 180,000 gallons of water imported per day to pull off that plan. It would also need more than 900 porta potties and 300 handwashing stations, which it does not currently possess.

There are also problems beyond water. The roads damaged by Helene have made some bus routes impassable. The system would need to redo bus routes to ensure students could safely move to and from school.

Additionally, Kim Plemmons, the Erwin District representative, raised issues around public health and sanitation. Many students are unable to bathe at home, which could result in more health issues like head lice and viruses.

Jackson also emphasized the need for mental health support for students, teachers and other faculty. He said once schools resume there will be extra counselors available.

Lilly Knoepp

More than 120 people lost their lives when Hurricane Helene devastated 25 counties in Western North Carolina. Fallen trees, landslides and mudslides damaged thousands of roads and bridges in the storm, complicating efforts to rescue victims, move supplies and make repairs. .

In an interview with BPR, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said the Federal Highway Administration has been working closely with North Carolina to fix the 6,000 damaged sites, including 600 road closures, identified by the federal administration.

“That's not just routes like I-40 or I-26 but smaller rural communities absolutely depending on a bridge or a road that has been taken out. When you're in a rural community, in a mountain Community, if you lose a bridge it might be a long way to the next one. ” Buttigieg said.

Buttigieg said the federal government understands the need for urgent funding as well as support for the “long haul.”

“We were able to approve $100 million dollars in transportation emergency relief funding and get that on its way to North Carolina - that is just the beginning of what will be needed there. And another $32 million dollars is headed to Tennessee,” Buttigieg said.

The state legislature approved a $273 million disaster recovery package this week. Gov. Roy Cooper signed the package into law the next day.

Buttigeig said he spoke to Cooper about “building back in a way that is more resilient than the infrastructure we inherited.”

“We of course hope and pray that there will never be a storm like this hitting Western North Carolina again, but what we do know is that extreme weather is becoming more frequent and more severe and the United States will be hit with more where this came from,” Buttigeig said.

In North Carolina, preparations could involve moving roads to higher ground, slope stabilization projects and more, he said. Public transportation in rural areas must also be a high priority, Buttigeig said.

“We have always believed in this department that good transit and public transportation is not just for the biggest cities, but that every community including rural communities can benefit from transit options,” Buttigieg said. Federal Transit Administration and Rail Administration staff are currently involved in recovery efforts.

Beyond the recovery effort, the November election will change the head of the executive branch. Buttigieg said he is confident the recovery efforts will continue regardless of the results of the election.

“You know, the president's views are very clear that this work needs to happen without regard for politics. I'll tell you the conversations I've been having with local officials, governors, senators - you would never know listening in on our conversations, which ones was somebody from the same political party as mine in which were the reverse,” Buttigieg said.

Asheville's broken water system took one step closer to repair as crews were able to connect a 36-inch bypass line at the North Fork Reservoir. The move allowed officials to begin pressurizing water into the system.

City of Asheville

The water is bypassing the filtration facility, so customers should expect it to be cloudly and to contain sediment. All households in the area remain under the directive to boil water vigorously for at least one minute before ingesting.

Because the water from North Fork will mix with water from the functioning Mills River facility, all customers should boil water before consumption.

People with access to bottled water are encouraged to use it in lieu of tap water for drinking and brushing teeth.

Find answers to additional water questions in this FAQ.

Two more people have been confirmed dead in Yancey County the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Haywood County, North Carolina authorities reported on Friday. 

A total of 12 people in Yancey County have died due to Helene, public data shows.

Search and rescue efforts and recovery continue across the region.

The latest information available shows 123 people died in North Carolina during the floods, landslides, and aftermath of the disaster. Of those deaths reported so far, 116 of the victims were in 14 counties across WNC, including 72 victims in Buncombe County.

With high levels of sediment still clouding the water at the North Fork reservoir, water resource officials are turning to unusual tactics.

"A private contractor will install curtains in the reservoir to create a section where water particles can be clumped together so they become heavy and fall to the bottom," a statement by officials said.

Addressing turbidity, or sediment in the water, is usually done through filtration methods, but the condition of the water post-Helene is too stirred up to use typical techniques.

Last night, officials starting pressurizing and filling the North Fork Bypass line, a major element of the city's water system.

In normal circumstances, that water would be forced through the treatment plant before distributing to other lines.

Given the damage from Helene, experts are opting instead to segment off part of the reservoir using what they call a curtain and deploying the coagulation mechanism to try to clean the water. Even when water is distributed, there are still many lines to be repaired before distribution will be successful to all areas.

Residents should not expect the water that makes it way to their homes to look clean, Water Resources spokesperson Clay Chandler said on Friday.

Officials advise water customers to take specific measures to use water when it does reach their homes:

• Turn off icemakers and turn off water from toilets while not in use. Shut off the hot water heater valve to keep sediment from accumulating.
• All water in the City of Asheville is under a boil advisory. Boil all water vigorously for at least one minute before using it for any consumption, such as cooking, brushing teeth, and drinking.
• The water is safe for showers, officials say, but residents should avoid getting water in the mouth. Parents and guardians should consider sponge baths for babies and small children. 
• If you remain without water, turn off the water heater to prevent fire risk.
  

Officials offered a special notice for Black Mountain residents: "Because Black Mountain has multiple water sources, some residents have begun receiving water. If you have water in Black Mountain do not drink it or give it to pets, even if you boil it, it is not safe to consume. Only use it to flush your toilet." 

Asheville-based attorneys are stepping up to help people fill out FEMA disaster assistance forms through November 27.

The law firm of Fisher Stark PA is teaming up with the Davis Law Group and Patton Allen Real Estate to help with the next wave of recovery efforts by providing no-cost, application help.

Attorneys will be available every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting October 15, at Fisher Stark law firm, located at 99 McDowell Street in Asheville.

The group is seeking volunteers to train on how to assist with the FEMA process. To volunteer, contact the firm at info@fisherstark.com or renee@fisherstark.com.

“People are in a marathon right now of recovery,” Perry Fisher told BPR. “This was an unmet need and we wanted to meet it.”

Asheville leaders say they've completed an important step in water system repairs. The city has been burning midnight oil to fix its mangled water system.

Water has been out for the majority of Asheville residents for two weeks after Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic damage to the region.

At 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, work crews reconnected a 36-inch bypass line at the North Fork Reservoir — a crucial step in the repair process. This bypass connects the reservoir to the distribution system. The North Fork Reservoir is responsible for providing more than 70% of the city’s water.

Water restoration is still potentially weeks away, but fixing the central distribution mechanism is an important milestone, Assistant City Manager Ben Woody said on Thursday.

In a normal construction cycle, the bypass installation would take around two years, Woody said at a briefing earlier this week.

“We are moving at lightspeed,” he said. “But this is also being done safely.”

To complete this phase of the project, T&K Utilities, the contractors on the project, had to dam sections of a newly formed creek in 20-foot parcels to reach parts of the distribution system.

The next hurdle for restoring water is two-fold: the water in the North Fork Reservoir needs treatment and other breaks in the water line must be mended.

The flooding from Helene shook the water in the reservoir from one of the cleanest in the country into a sediment-soaked mess. Woody said the city is working on creating a treatment system that helps the millions of suspended clay particles settle.

Once the water is treated and the breaks are mended, it will take additional time to refill the thousands of miles worth of water lines in the city’s system.

City of Asheville/Water

EPA talks climate change, local collaboration

Also Thursday, local leaders explained how they are collaborating with state and federal officials in the recovery process, including water restoration.

Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer, Gov. Roy Cooper, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials, and others joined together in a news conference in Black Mountain.

They were gathered at the North Fork Reservoir Dam to highlight the city’s collaborative efforts to bring back water service. The dam was nationally recognized in 2021 for its recently upgraded spillway, a $37 million project that hardened it against major storm events and, officials said at the conference, may have blunted even worse outcomes of flooding from Hurricane Helene.

EPA officials said they were working together with the city to bring quality, safe, clean drinking water back to Asheville, though they still did not give an exact timeline for water restoration.

“Many water systems across the country are 100 plus years old, so they're not only weathered, but some of them are dilapidated,” Regan said.

The EPA has $50 billion from the Biden administration to invest in water infrastructure around the country, which Regan said the agency plans to use to harden water lines against climate change, which may continue to bring intense storms and high levels of rainfall to western North Carolina.

“It matters that you have a thoughtful group of leaders, like in Asheville, that understand climate change is real,” Regan said. “We're going to see more intense storms. So they made some early investments that have paid off.”

Some parts of the Nantahala National Forest will open Friday, October 11.

In the Cheoah Ranger District, Nantahala Ranger District, Tusquitee Ranger District all developed recreation sites, trails and roads are open.

There are exceptions that are not open:

• Appletree Group Campground
• Balsam Lake Lodge
• Wayehutta OHV Trail System
• Wine Springs Horse Camp
• Rainbow Springs Road, FSR 437
• Van Hook Campground
• Cliffside recreation area

The Pisgah National Forest is still closed. Here is the full list of closures.

Some parts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are still closed. U.S. 441/Newfound Gap Road is open. Here is the full list of closures.

A 72-year-old woman in Haywood County was killed in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Haywood County, North Carolina authorities reported on Thursday. State officials say she died on Sept. 29 "as a result of lack of basic necessities."

The woman, who has not been publicly identified, was included as the latest confirmed victim in a report from the N.C. Medical Examiner's Office on Thursday. A total of five people in Haywood County died due to Helene, public data show.

Search and rescue efforts and recovery continue across the region.

The latest information available shows 121 people died in North Carolina during the floods, landslides, and aftermath of the disaster. Of those deaths reported so far, 114 of the victims were in 14 counties across WNC, including 72 victims in Buncombe County.

Buncombe County courts are operating on a very reduced schedule, Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams told BPR.

"Do not fret about missing a court date if you have one coming up in this period," Williams said.

The courts remain open for "essential constitutionally mandated" matters, such as domestic violence protection orders, probable cause hearings and pleas, he said.

"We are not doing jury trials," he said. People called for jury duty can ignore those notices until services resume.

Defendants with attorneys should reach out to them to get the latest information.

Criminal defendants in custody who want to request release or reduced bond, they should do so through their attorney, he said.

"We are more than happy to review any bond, any bond motion that's made by a defense attorney or by the defendant case-by-case and determine whether or not that case is an appropriate risk and advocate yes or no," he said.

The district attorney's office may consent or request something that the judge will not grant, he said.

Williams distinguished this situation from the pandemic in that during COVID-19, defendants could not be transferred to other facilities and brought back for court proceedings.

In a statement, the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office said they transferred 162 incarcerated people to other facilities.

For the Family Justice Center assistance in a domestic violence situation, individuals can call (828) 250-6900. The Public Defender can be reached at (828) 259-2423.

The state's official fatality count generally has been lower than the number of deaths reported by BPR and other sources. That's because Buncombe County officials have shared publicly that they have recovered storm victims whose deaths are still under investigation by North Carolina pathologists.

From the earliest point of government and law enforcement leaders sharing information about Helene's death toll in Western North Carolina, there have been two main caveats in terms of determining accuracy:

1. A prolonged search and rescue period (due to terrain and other challenges) may mean that people who died in the storm have not yet been accounted for.
2. Authorities at the county level may share updates on the number of victims locally before state officials complete the usual process of determining the exact cause of death.

Below, you'll find regular updates from BPR on the number of fatalities reported — both by the N.C. Medical Examiner's Office and county authorities.

As the majority of Asheville residents continue to struggle without water, some car wash facilities in South Asheville are open and operating … counter to the requests of local officials

On Wednesday afternoon, more than a dozen cars lined up at Heroes Car Wash on Hendersonville Road to use some of the city’s limited water.

The car wash uses primarily recycled water to remove dried sewage and potentially other biohazards from customer vehicles , according to an email to BPR from the spokesperson for Heroes Car Wash, Josh Moore.

Moore noted one of the company’s team members lost their apartment and vehicle, which were swept away during the storm, adding, “We are rallying around our friends, family and neighbors to support in every way we can.”

“Approximately 85% of the water we use is our own recycled and treated water. We use oil/water separators and an ozone treatment system to treat the water. We use less than 2 gallons of "new" water per vehicle, approximately the same as flushing a toilet. This is the benefit of using a professional tunnel car wash as compared to washing a car in the driveway, which typically uses 50-100 gallons per vehicle.”

A Buncombe County Sheriff vehicle was also in line to get a car wash.

BPR reached out to the Buncombe County Sheriffs’ office but did not receive a response before publication.

"We lost many vehicles in the storm so there is not much to wash. I do not have a total number of vehicles lost at this time," Buncombe County spokesperson Lillian Govus said.

Heroes Car Wash has also raised and donated money to different disaster relief organizations like the US Disaster Relief fund of Samaritan's Purse.

“We live in this community and are living through it along with our neighbors. The entire situation still seems surreal and there are some incredibly difficult stories and a lot of rebuilding ahead,” he wrote.

The NC Department of Health and Human Services reported one additional fatality today.

Hurricane Helene killed 120 people in North Carolina to date.

Local emergency management, EMS, the NC Medical Examiner System, and Office of Chief Medical Examiner staff are working cooperatively with FEMA to respond to fatalities related to Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.

The state count is delayed as some local sheriff’s offices are reporting search and rescue efforts before being additionally confirmed at the state level.

For example, the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office confirmed 72 fatalities in the county as of Oct. 3. In the official state numbers at 4 p.m., Oct. 9, there were 41 fatalities confirmed in the county.

Sprinklers running at a local luxury hotel upset some observers as the city of Asheville (and beyond) are without municipal water service close to two weeks after Hurricane Helene.

Posts circulating on social media showed the sprinklers on the Omni Grove Park Inn golf course running on Tuesday.

The golf course is using non-potable water from the property's on-site ponds to water the greens, according to an email to BPR from Grove Park Director of Marketing and Communications Isabel Miller.

“The water is never sourced from the city supply, allowing us to maintain the greens as needed without impacting local water resources,” Miller said.

Like much of the area, the hotel remains without running water, Miller said.

The golf course maintenance team manages the depressurization of the water system to reduce sediment and have a smooth restoration process, she said.

Local schools will start digging their own well water systems in order to bring school services back online.

“We can’t wait until the [municipal water system] is fully repaired to open our schools,” Asheville City Schools Superintendent Maggie Fehrman said at Buncombe County’s daily briefing.

No timeline has been announced for when Asheville's city water service will be up and running across all communities.

Asheville city school leaders say classrooms may be able to bring children back starting by early November - but that the timeline is tentative for now.

For more details on the school system's response, read the full story here.

Laura Hackett/BPR News

Water service will connect between Black Mountain and Asheville for the purpose of starting repairs - do not drink the water, officials warn.

Starting Thursday, Oct. 10, the Black Mountain system will connect to the Asheville water supply.

This is not drinkable water, even if you boil it.

This water should not be used for anything other than flushing toilets.

This water has high sediment and will be discolored.

If you have not been receiving Code Red notifications, sign up for Code Red at www.TownOfBlackMountain.org to get immediate updates from the town.

The United States Postal Service is resuming service to many routes in Western North Carolina, according to a statement released by the agency late Tuesday.

"Significant work" remains in order to "deliver a backlog of mail and packages and reopen routes in the areas hit hardest by Hurricane Helene," the statement said.

Locations with ZIP Codes beginning in 286, 287, and 288 saw the most impact to service from the storm.

The Postal Service operates 838 facilities across the state. As of Monday, all USPS North Carolina processing facilities were operating.

Most retail and delivery units are also running but for those that remain inaccessible, USPS relocated operations to nearby units. Forty-four retail offices are operating on a cash only basis.

Thirty-five routes remain inoperable.

Mail sent to inaccessible addresses is being held at local post offices office until it is safe to deliver.

"We remain committed to delivering mail wherever it's feasible and safe, constantly adjusting our operations for a swift restoration of services," the statement said.

Find service alert updates here.

Individuals displaced by the storm should complete a change of address form.

Postal service employees will be on site to assist residents of temporary shelters with change of address forms and alternative mailing locations.

The following chart outlines retail and delivery points across the three most impacted ZIP codes in North Carolina:

Residents without home service can send and receive mail and packages to the following 21 mobile operations units:

Buncombe County Board of Elections announced modifications to the early election sites because of Hurricane Helene.

An emergency resolution of the State Board of Elections gave the local authorities some flexibility to adapt to the post-storm conditions.

Early voting in Buncombe County will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., from Oct. 17 through Nov. 1 at the following locations:

• Black Mountain Library, 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain
• East Asheville Library, 3 Avon Road, Asheville
• Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sand Hill Road, Candler
• Fairview Library, 1 Taylor Road, Fairview
• Leicester Community Center, 2979 New Leicester Hwy., Leicester
• South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road, Asheville
• UNCA Health & Counseling Center, 118 W.T Weaver Blvd., Asheville (new location)
• Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lakeshore Drive, Weaverville
• Dr. Wesley Grant Southside Center, 285 Livingston St., Asheville (in lieu of Board of Elections location)

• West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road, Asheville

Among the 120 people killed in North Carolina during Hurricane Helene, one more person has been confirmed dead in Avery County.

State officials issued an additional update on fatalities to remove one death from the official count in Rowan County. Authorities clarified on Oct. 9 that they are continuing to investigate the cause of death regarding one of the two people initially reported as killed in Rowan County. Until the death investigation is complete, officials said, the decedent will not be included in state fatality statistics.

The report from the NC Department of Health and Human Services brings the number of fatalities in Avery County up to four total including a 58-year-old man who may have been involved in a house collapse.

Local emergency management, EMS, the NC Medical Examiner System, and Office of Chief Medical Examiner staff are working cooperatively with FEMA to respond to fatalities related to Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.

The state count is delayed as some local sheriff’s offices are reporting search and rescue efforts before being additionally confirmed at the state level.

For example, the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office has confirmed 72 fatalities in the county as of Oct. 3. In the official state numbers at 4 p.m., Oct. 8, there were 40 fatalities confirmed in the county.

“We are aware there are additional reports of decedents, and our team is working to verify that these are storm related deaths. Life-saving activities will always take priority, and we will continue to work to update this information as appropriately as possible,” NC DHHS spokesperson said in an email.

The names of victims of Hurricane Helene have not been publicly shared by state or local leaders.

Anyone seeking assistance locating a loved one who is missing or unaccounted for can call 2-1-1.

“Every death related to a hurricane is a tragedy. If a family or individual is seeking assistance with a loved one who has died, emergency responders are available in every impacted county to provide help and ensure their loved one is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, and that information gets reported back through the appropriate channels as needed,” NCDHHS spokesperson said in an email.

Deaths in  Western North Carolina

In the mountains, the youngest victim confirmed killed in the storm was a 7-year-old boy who drowned.

In Western North Carolina counties alone, 113 people have been found dead. Sparse details in the official reports on deaths provide some information about the last moments of the victims:

• Three people, a 60-year-old female, a 50-year-old female and a 60-year-old male were killed in Henderson County on Sept. 29 after a home was overcome with flood waters. There are seven confirmed fatalities in the county. 
• A 37-year-old female died in Madison County on Sept. 27. Officials say she was evacuating her home due to rising flood waters and her car was swept away by floodwaters a short distance from her home. There are four confirmed fatalities in the county. 

To report on updates as accurately as possible, BPR News checks information on fatalities from across available counties and in twice-daily updates from state officials. With the exception of Buncombe County's report on deaths, the total number of 120 deaths reflects official data from the N.C. Medical Examiner's Office.

Macon County Emergency Management announced Tuesday that it has finished the damage assessment in the county following Helene.

The county fared better than many further east in the region but some residents are now without homes.

The reports says that two residential structures were damaged to the extent that they are uninhabitable. Twenty-four structures will require extensive repairs, 28 structures will require at least some repair, and three other structures experienced at least some issue that requires some minor attention.

There may be more reports of damage as time allows residents and property owners to survey their remote or second home locations.

A supply distribution center has been established at Holly Springs Plaza at the vacant Ingles location to collect donations and distribute items to people in need both inside and outside of Macon County.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a representative on the ground in Macon County to make site visits and answer questions. They are in the process of setting up Disaster Recovery Center locations where the public can meet face-to-face to discuss and apply for recovery options. The locations and hours of those locations will be announced as soon as they are available and their support staff arrive. There is a link on our webpage at www.maconnc.org as well as a contact number where assistance can be requested as well.

An email has been established for residents to submit unmet needs and other requests. Send information to Heleneneeds@maconnc.org.

US 441/Newfound Gap Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) is open 24 hours a day.

The park was forced to close overnight due to illegal, large commercial vehicles attempting to travel the road. GSMNP officials said that the park has turned away 173 commercial vehicles over five days.

Officials explained that the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Government and Sevier County including the Cities of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville and the Sevier County Government are assisting with resources to turning around commercial vehicles at checkpoints on both sides of US 441/Newfound Gap Road overnight.

"While the National Park Service recognizes that major routes outside the park are currently closed, Newfound Gap Road is not safe for large, commercial vehicles. Newfound Gap Road is a two-lane road with steep, continuous grades and tight curves. There are no truck lanes, runaway truck ramps or places for a large commercial vehicle to slow down and pull over," a press release said.

Commercial vehicles are always prohibited on US 441/Newfound Gap Road and in all of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (with the exception of the Spur).

Commercial vehicles will be stopped, turned around at checkpoints and may be subject to a federal misdemeanor violation notice and fine.

Most of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is open. Visitors are always encouraged to check current conditions in the park before visiting.

Mountain Bizworks, a regional nonprofit that provides loans and training to small businesses, is launching a rapid recovery loan program to assist Western North Carolina small businesses in recovering from the devastating impacts of Helene.

On Monday, The WNC Strong: Helene Business Recovery Fund launched with an initial $7.5 million in support from the Golden LEAF Foundation.

“Even in this darkest hour, we believe the path forward lies in unity and our common good. Together, we can rebuild our community. We're honored to contribute our resources to this initial wave of emergency funds, a crucial step towards a more resilient future for our region,” Mountain BizWorks Board Chair, Zane Adams said in a press release.

Impacted small businesses will be able to apply for loans up to $100,000 to help meet immediate needs and bridge to longer term relief resources from SBA disaster loans, FEMA assistance, insurance, and other sources. The loans will have a one-percent (1%) interest rate and interest-only payments for twelve months. If not repaid in the first year, the loans will automatically convert to a term loan, according to Mountain Bizworks.

“Small businesses in Western North Carolina are essential to their communities and this help from Golden LEAF can give them a start to building back,” Governor Roy Cooper said in a press release.

Mountain BizWorks and program partners hope to secure additional funding capacity in the coming days and weeks.

“The Golden LEAF Foundation’s $7.5 million in bridge loans through Mountain BizWorks will provide critical relief to small businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene. Small businesses are the backbone of North Carolina's economy, and this funding ensures that entrepreneurs can continue their operations during this challenging time,” North Carolina Speaker of the House, Tim Moore said in a press release.

The nonprofit’s website also has information about how to apply for state and federal support.

"Recovering from Hurricane Helene will be a difficult journey, but if there's anyone that can come back stronger than before it's the people of Western North Carolina. The Golden LEAF Foundation's small business loans will be a good step in helping Hurricane victims get their shops up and running," North Carolina Senate Leader, Phil Berger said in a press release.

Here are more details on the program, as well as FAQs in English and Spanish.

After multiple viral posts on social media concerning potential chemical exposure, volunteers and residents engaged in Helene cleanup have begun to worry that a PVC pipe manufacturer in Asheville may have spilled volatile compounds into the water.

Though it was difficult to tell where the source of this information was, many residents of Marshall, Hot Springs, and other communities became concerned about the potential for chemical burns or damage to their clothing and boots.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality received these concerning reports of potential contamination stemming from Silver Line Plastics. According to DEQ public information officer Katherine Lucas, inspectors visited the location. "No injuries were confirmed related to potential exposure in the area," she said.

Silver Line is not listed as a hazardous waste generator with the DEQ, which means they have an air permit with the local air program in Buncombe County and did not have significant quantities of hazardous chemicals, so were operating within their regulatory limits.

However, Lucas said, this does not rule out other hazards, as flood mud in general can be quite toxic.

Both the DEQ and Buncombe County have advised taking care and wearing personal protective equipment when coming into contact with river mud, as the storm damaged multiple sewage plants. Water infiltrated gas stations, and may contain other chemicals that were spilled such as paint and pesticides.

North Carolina-based organization MountainTrue and another, independent group are also testing soil around the French Broad for signs of industrial contamination.

Chris Carlson/AP

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AP

Many Duke customers are still without power. As of midday Monday, 96% of customers in Madison County were still without electricity, along with

• 65% in Mitchell
• 45% in Buncombe
• 39% in Avery
• 26% in Yancey
• 13% in McDowell

Duke spokesman Bill Norton said a new substation is being brought into Madison County that will restore power to 1,000 customers.

In Buncombe County, the majority of outages are in Black Mountain and Swannanoa, the latter of which has two new substations.

"One has already been powered up, the other one should receive power very shortly. So you'll begin to see chunks of customers, not just, you know, tens and hundreds, but thousands at a time come back on as critical transmission infrastructure is restored," Norton said.

Originally, Duke estimated 90% of reachable customers would be restored by last Friday, which Norton asserts is true.

"After reassessing late last week, we told customers on Friday that we expected to have about 105,000 customers remaining as of Sunday night, and we hit that target," Norton said. "But for our last, you know, 100,000 or so, many will be restored within a week.

Norton said that Duke would try to be flexible with customers are the power comes back on.

"You know, there's not a formal policy in place in terms of a certain amount of time," Norton said. "This is an ongoing situation. It's still developing, and we will be flexible with our customers who have bill-paying needs."

Norton said that power restoration is collaborative, relying on government agencies to rebuild infrastructure, which is part of why the pace from here on in is difficult to predict.

"We cannot do it ourselves, so we're going to keep commuting with communicating with our customers by email, text, phone as soon as their individual details become available, there's really not one size fits all solutions for what's left."

The North Carolina Board of Elections Board approved additional support and solutions to ensure voting accessibility in 13 counties in Western North Carolina deeply impacted by Helene.

The unanimous adoption of an elections board resolution allows for certain adaptions or changes, directed at the local level, only by bipartisan decision-making in the following counties: Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey.

Multipartisan Assistance Teams will be available to assist with absentee ballot requests and absentee voting at disaster shelters and other places such as assisted living facilities.

Stacy “Four” Eggers IV, a Republican from Boone was appointed in 2023, spoke about the need for these changes.

“I think ultimately is a necessary step and that this is an unprecedented amount of damage and destruction that's been caused by this storm. Not only has it resulted in loss of life and personal property but it has severely damaged the road systems water systems and communications systems up here in the High Country,” Eggers said.

These counties will be able to change early voting locations by adding sites, or removing sites that are unusable as well as updating days and hours those locations are open. This could include moving sites to neighboring counties for those places that have been devastated by the storm.

To read the full story from BPR News, go here.

Photo by Gerard Albert III

On Monday, Republican U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards - whose congressional district encompasses most of Western North Carolina - provided an update on disaster response, resources for residents, and more.

In the newsletter to constituents, Edwards wrote:

"More than 4,000 first responders, national guardsmen, and active-duty military are in Western North Carolina looking for your friends, your family, or if you’re still stranded waiting for help - they’re looking for you. And they won’t stop until every missing person is accounted for."

Many have criticized FEMA's response to the historic floods and widespread devastation that Hurricane Helene unleashed on the mountains. Across social media, that scrutiny has turned to conspiracy, with some sharing debunked or fake reports about government actions or presence.

In his email newsletter, Edwards writes:

"FEMA has shipped 13 million meals and 13 million liters of water utilizing the $20 billion in funds that I helped to draft and pass for disaster relief just two days before Hurricane Helene hit. Of the shipped food and water, more than 6 million liters of water and 4 million individual meals have already been delivered to Western NC communities."

The congressman also pointed out the importance of coordinating disaster response, especially in air operations, saying:

"The state of North Carolina is NOT turning away civil aviation support so long as it has been coordinated through the proper channels with NC Emergency Management. If you or someone you know is interested in providing civil aviation support and don’t know where to coordinate your efforts, please call my office and we will help you get in touch with the right folks."

The entirety of the correspondence from Edwards - which includes a long list of resources for support and supplies - can be found here on the congressman's website.

Among the 119 people killed in North Carolina during Hurricane Helene are at least two people who were found dead after recovery from the floods commenced in Buncombe County. Officials attribute their deaths to a "lack of basic necessities."

In an update from the N.C. Medical Examiner's Office, officials say two women - an 84-year-old and a 72-year-old - were found on Sept. 29. They died, officials wrote, "as a result of lack of basic necessities."

The names of victims of Hurricane Helene have not been publicly shared by state or local leaders.

In the mountains, the youngest victim confirmed to have been killed in the storm was a 7-year-old boy who drowned. Further east, in Catawba County, a 4-year-old girl died in a car accident on a flooded road, which first responders had closed due to safety concerns.

Deaths in Asheville, Buncombe

The latest report from Buncombe County Sheriff's Office indicates 72 deaths have been confirmed locally. In addition, state leaders report 47 other fatalities across 19 counties.

In Western North Carolina counties alone, 111 people have been found dead. Sparse details in the official reports on deaths provide some information about the last moments of the victims:

• One woman in Madison County was killed on Sept. 27 as she tried to evacuate her home during flooding. Her car was swept away in floodwaters a short distance from her house, officials say.
• Two people killed in Rutherford County died due to a tree falling on them. Six other similar deaths were reported in other counties.
• Days after widespread flooding and landslides, the body of a woman in McDowell County was recovered from a collapsed home. Officials note at least 11 deaths were caused by landslides.
• At least 27 of those who lost their lives are believed to have drowned or have been found in waterways or along the side of rivers. More, however, died from causes that haven't been specified or concluded.

How many people have died?

While the grim statistic of the number of people killed has been rising, search and rescue and recovery efforts are ongoing across the region. In some cases, local emergency responder reports on fatalities are higher or different than the state's report.

"We are aware there are additional reports of decedents, and our team is working to verify that these are storm-related deaths. Life-saving activities will always take priority, and we will continue to work to update this information as appropriately as possible," state officials have said.

To report on updates as accurately as possible, BPR News has checked information on fatalities from across available counties and in twice-daily updates from state officials. With the exception of Buncombe County's report on deaths, the total number of 119 deaths reflects official data from the N.C. Medical Examiner's Office.

Highlighting the ongoing search and rescue effort in Helene's aftermath, Western North Carolina's Republican congressman shared an update Monday, saying:

"Here’s to hope: 6,586 people have been rescued, evacuated or assisted by search and rescue teams since Hurricane Helene hit, including 39 survivors being rescued on Saturday, October 5, over eight full days into rescue efforts."

U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards noted that FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) has been on the ground and has pledged to deliver 120 truckloads a day of food and water into WNC - with no current end-date in mind.

"FEMA has shipped 13 million meals and 13 million liters of water utilizing the $20 billion in funds that I helped to draft and pass for disaster relief just two days before Hurricane Helene hit," Edwards wrote.

"Of the shipped food and water, more than 6 million liters of water and 4 million individual meals have already been delivered to Western NC communities."

Photo by Gerard Albert III

Government response; search and rescue

Air search and rescue teams continue to rescue people across Western North Carolina, Gov. Cooper said in a statement late Sunday.

The crews flew 48 additional missions on Saturday, locating 39 survivors stranded by the catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene.

“Continuing search and rescue missions in rough terrain, better communications and more resources on the ground are helping as we race to find missing people, reunite families and coordinate the delivery of supplies," Cooper said in a statement.

About 1,700 North Carolina National Guard and 1,000 active-duty military personnel are assisting the 50 search and rescue teams in the region.

Waste Pro collection service, the provider for Buncombe County, is resuming pick up for regular Monday route customers that are accessible.

Residents can also drop off household bagged trash on Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Leicester Elementary at 31 Gilbert Road, Leicester.

There is no recycling collection at this time. Residents may use their Waste Pro recycling cart for additional trash space if needed.

Storm debris is not included in any collection at this time.

Black Mountain authorities have moved their work from search and rescue to recovery.

Some people in Black Mountain continue to shelter in place, with authorities providing supplies and resources as needed.

About 90 percent of roads are open for accessibility for emergency vehicles, Black Mountain Fire Chief John Coffey said.

In Swannanoa, the landscape has changed, Swannanoa Fire Department Chief Anthony Penland said.

He said crews are actively searching for the missing in the Bee Tree area.

"Our citizens are hurting," he said.

He described the warning residents received to evacuate in advance of the storm, including campers at the KOA campground.

The City of Asheville announced a road closure effect through October 13, 2024.

Hendersonville Road/Biltmore Avenue will be closed from All Souls Crescent to Meadow Road between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.

All lanes will be closed to all vehicular traffic except for emergency vehicles.

Traffic will be rerouted to the McDowell Street bridge.

According to the city, the detour is required to maintain safety while cleanup activities take place in the Biltmore Village area.

Asheville's food and water distribution locations now have nonpotable water, or grey water, which can be used for flushing toilets. 

The water is in addition to drinking and cooking water. People should bring their own containers for grey water.

The City of Asheville food and water distribution site locations are:

• Pack Square Park, 70 Court Plaza 
• Asheville Middle School, 211 S. French Broad Ave
• Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd
• Lucy Herring Elementary, 98 Sulphur Springs Rd
• Oakley Elementary School, 753 Fairview Rd

Resources are available until 7p.m. or until supplies run out.

The Buncombe County briefings will no longer be twice a day.

Since the storm, county officials provided information at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. every day.

The government and community operations partners hold daily updates to let the community know about a range of topics from environmental health to water restoration to educational institutional updates.

The Sunday afternoon briefing will be held at 4 p.m. in Black Mountain.

Volunteers from near and far were all over the roads of Yancey and Mitchell Counties Saturday.

In the town of Spruce Pine, the roads have become crowded with volunteers on all sorts of vehicles. On ATVs, motorcycles, and tactical trucks, people are lining up to drop off pallets of water and other goods, or loading them into trunks to speed off. They’re on the relatively clear roads downtown by the closed-off Blue Ridge Parkway, and they’re down by the still-muddy Ingles parking lot and the even more remote mountain roads, many of which have been cleared by ordinary people with chainsaws and hatchets.

At the Skyline Village Inn, Lisette Buckner of Lizzy’s Glizzies, a Charlotte-based mobile hot dog operation, had 800 hot dogs to hand out before the end of the day. She described the harrowing journey taken by her little hot dog cart, which had never traveled more than forty-five minutes before.

“There was, you know, poles down. There was roads gone. There was a lot of obstacles to get here, but we did it,” Buckner said, patting her hot dog cart. “It's the farthest that she has ever traveled, the craziest terrain, but she did it. She's a trooper.”

In the Walmart parking lot, the Cajun Navy was also giving away food and water. The volunteer search-and-rescue group is named for volunteers who helped navigate relief and rescues in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. And there were supplies available by the Spruce Pine Taco Bell, and the Mitchell County Shepherd’s Staff.

In Burnsville, behind the McDonald’s off Highway 19, farmer Henry Payne set up his produce as an impromptu farmer’s market. Payne runs a half-acre no-till farm called Five Pine Farm, which survived the flood, unlike many other farms in the area.

“I've been donating to the neighbors around me up in Green Mountain,” Payne said. “And I have so much produce, thousands of pounds to harvest. So it's, I'm still trying to figure that out. It's a good problem to have.”

Payne plans to set up in the same spot every day for as long as he can.

“I didn't become a farmer to make money,” Payne said. “I became a farmer because it brought a sense of community.”

On Saturday, the town of Canton announced they will remain on a boil water advisory until tomorrow morning due to a 6” inch water line break.

This does not affect Clyde as they have switched water sources.

The Town of Black Mountain is providing, food, water, and public restrooms. The locations are open daily and is as follows:

Food and Water

• Ingles 550 NC-9 Black Mountain, NC 9am - 7pm
• Ashley’s Kitchen and Bath 2950 US-70 Black Mountain, NC 9am -6pm

Health Services

• Ingles 550 NC-9 Black Mountain, NC 9am -7pm (Basic medical care and ability to fill prescriptions at Ingles Pharmacy)
• First Baptist Church 130 Montreat Rd Black Mountain, NC 9am - 6pm (Basic medical care and mental health support.)

Several courts in the region are closed.

In McDowell County, all Sessions of court this coming week are cancelled. The Courthouse and the Clerks office will open at 10:00 A.M. and close at 2:00 P.M.

District court sessions in Madison County are cancelled for the week. Emergency hearings should contact Evan Redmond at 828-434-0721.

In Madison County, there's a note on the courthouse door, according to the NC Courts website.

All Superior Court sessions in Madison County are also cancelled this coming week.

The Yancey County Courthouse will be closed until further notice including all court sessions.

All Superior Court Sessions for Judicial District 35, which includes Madison county are canceled the week of October 7, 2024.

All courts are closed this week in Avery county.

Rebuilding roadways remains a difficult challenge for local, state and federal officials throughout the region.

Today, the NC Department of Transportation offered a glimpse of road repairs efforts in the community of Bat Cave near Chimney Rock.

Road reconstruction is expected to take weeks to restore throughout the region.

Jacquelyn Martin

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AP

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is heading to North Carolina on Saturday as the state recovers from Hurricane Helene, arriving there one day after a visit by Republican Donald Trump, who is spreading false claims about the federal response to the disaster.

Earlier in the week, Harris was in Georgia, where she helped distribute meals, toured the damage and consoled families hard-hit by the storm. President Joe Biden, too, visited the disaster zone. During stops over two days in the Carolinas, Florida and Georgia, Biden surveyed the damage and met with farmers whose crops have been destroyed.

The two have been vocal and visible about the government's willingness to help, and the administration's efforts so far include covering costs for all of the rescue and recovery efforts across the Southeast for several months as states struggle under the weight of the mass damage.

In a letter late Friday to congressional leaders, Biden wrote that while the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Disaster Relief Fund "has the resources it requires right now to meet immediate needs, the fund does face a shortfall at the end of the year." He also called on lawmakers to act quickly to restore funding to the Small Business Administration's disaster loan program.

More than 200 people have died. It's the worst storm to hit the U.S. mainland since Katrina in 2005, and scientists have warned such storms will only worsen in the face of climate change.

The facts emerging from Hurricane Helene's destruction are heartrending: Businesses and homes destroyed, whole communities nearly wiped out, hundreds of lives lost, hundreds of people missing.

Yet this devastation and despair is not enough for the extremist groups, disinformation agents, hucksters and politicians who are exploiting the disaster to spread false claims and conspiracy theories about it and the government's response.

According to former President Donald Trump, the federal government is intentionally withholding aid to Republican disaster victims. Far-right extremist groups warn on social media that officials plan to bulldoze affected communities and seize the land from residents. A tale straight from science fiction asserts that Washington used weather control technology to steer Helene toward Republican voters in order to tilt the presidential election toward Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.

The claims, according to experts and local officials dealing with disaster response, say less about the reality of the widespread damage from Helene than they do about America's fractured politics and the fear and distrust shadowing an election year marked by assassination attempts and escalating global tension.

Read the full story from the Associated Press here

Buncombe County officials provided updates on a few items on Saturday morning. They include:

Burn notice

Open burning of leaves, brush, and yard trimmings is permitted on burning days between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Check abairquality.org or call 828-250-6767 to find out if it is a burn day.

Burning is not allowed in the City of Asheville, and the Towns of Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Montreat, Weaverville or Woodfin.

Buncombe tracking damages

Buncombe County has launched an online tool for residents to report storm-related issues by uploading geotagged photos. These can include blocked roads, landslides, and urgent needs for evacuation, supplies, or medicine. The photos will help emergency services respond faster and more accurately to specific locations. The website is live now at report.buncombecounty.org. Please use this to report for emergency services only.

FEMA

FEMA teams will be at WNC Ag Center, AB Tech , and Black Mountain at 310 East State St. to help survivors to register for disaster assistance. There are more than 3,000 federal responders in NC

Fleets of law enforcement officers from 45 state and federal agencies have descended on Asheville to help out with various safety and recovery efforts.

"We asked them what they needed, and obviously they needed manpower," Kernersville Police Chief Jason Tilley told BPR.

In addition to ongoing search and rescue efforts, officers also guard food and water distribution sites and critical infrastructure, according to a press release from the City of Asheville.

Tilley said his officers have done a variety of tasks including providing roadblocks for washout roadways and keeping residents out of unsafe areas.

According to the city, officers also work to protect medical facilities and pharmacies from theft.

Officers are housed in a variety of locations including tents, hotels and recreational centers.

"Each time that we see other cities or counties that need us, we try to help in any way we can," Tilley said.

The National Park Service has temporarily closed US 441/Newfound Gap Road on from 10 p.m. Friday to 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

The Park Service said the measure was in response to an influx of illegal, large commercial vehicles through the park.

Park Service Facebook

Officials said there were two significant accidents overnight—one involving a car hauler that crashed into a wall and down an embankment, and one in which a semi-truck’s brakes caught on fire.

Commercial vehicles are always prohibited on Newfound Gap Road and in all of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (with the exception of the Spur), a post from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park said.

Newfound Gap Road, a curvy two-lane road with steep continuous grades, is not safe for large commercial vehicles.

The City of Asheville announced a new site for water distribution today.

Bulk water is available at Lucy Herring Elementary (98 Sulphur Springs Rd).

While some containers are available, local officials ask people to bring their own if they have them.

Assistant City Manager Ben Woody gave a detailed breakdown of where the majority of the damage was sustained. While there is no timeline for when everything will be fixed, the 160 public works employees are all working 12-hour shifts to get the system up and running again.

Once repairs at North Fork are made, the water system should be capable of providing water to the entire city. But the storm knocked away more than 25 feet of infrastructure at the plant, according to Woody.

VA Hospital

The medical center at 1100 Tunnel Road in Asheville is operating under both emergency generator and traditional power 24/7 for both emergencies and inpatient services.

It is able to do limited surgical internet on an emergency basis. Routine appointments have been canceled, but those with acute needs have been scheduled.

Veterans who need medications can come to the VA pharmacy or call 855-679-0074 and press 1.

The VA is accepting donations, call: 828-299-2514. Currently not accepting volunteers.

City of Asheville Updates

A small business assistance center is being set up at the city’s Chamber of Commerce and will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Solid Waste: Trash pickup will resume in targeted areas on Monday. Routes are based on road accessibility.

Download the AVL Collects app if you can to receive notifications about trash pickup. There will be no recycling pick-up, it will be collected as trash at this time. The city cannot collect mud or destruction debris.

Transit: The City of Asheville’s transit will provide limited fare-free transit starting on Monday to accessible routes. More information to come.

Mission Updates: Throughout the week nearly 200 patients have been treated at the decompression tent facility set up by federal disaster medical assistance teams.

The facility has been able to alleviate the emergency room capacity – which at one point was at 200%, according to HCA officials who spoke at a press conference this afternoon.

The medical professionals at the hospital have delivered more than 50 babies and have cared for more than 1,800 patients since the storm made landfall, CEO of Mission Health.

“We've been able to bring water tankers to bypass the water system. The facility just behind you is fully operational for all trauma care, cardiac care, stroke care and routine care of our facility. That's our number one priority,” Michael Wargo, Enterprise Vice President for Preparedness & Emergency Operations said.

MountainTrue says its French Broad Riverkeeper has reached out to environmental regulators amid concerns that possible runoff of harmful chemicals - like those typically used in the production of plastics - pose a threat to flood victims, first responders, and volunteers in some WNC communities.

Some citizens have reported that lingering flood waters and sludge possess chemical smells or have had caustic reactions with clothes, shoes, or their skin.

BPR has been unable to confirm any chemical testing or HAZMAT response but has reached out to MountainTrue. There's been no confirmation that dangerous runoff or chemical leaks occurred from specific plants or facilities in the area. Still, all local officials involved in flood response in WNC have urged residents and workers to use caution during cleanup.

MountainTrue officials say they've tried to contact the EPA and state environmental regulators in North Carolina.

On Friday afternoon, MountainTrue posted on Instagram:

"We want to address the recent reports and rumors regarding river sediment and sludge toxicity ... Our French Broad Riverkeeper is actively investigating these concerns. He has reached out to the EPA and DEQ and we will let you know as soon as we hear back from them."

MountainTrue is a non-profit organization based in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains, that focuses on environmental threats to land, air, and water resources.

"Your health and the integrity of our river are our top priorities," the group wrote on Instagram on Friday.

"In the meantime, we urge people to avoid contact with river sediment and sludge. If you need to clean your home or business, please use Personal Protective Equipment (N95 mask or better, gloves, safety glasses, and rubber boots) and make sure to wash thoroughly afterward."

Federal, state, and local agencies are working in western North Carolina to increase medical support for those impacted by Helene.

A disaster medical assistance team is in Asheville and a second team is in Spruce Pine. During a press conference Friday, the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Dawn O’Connell, gave that update. She also said the department recently launched the emergency prescription access program for those that are uninsured.

"They are entitled to receive free 30 day supply of the prescriptions that they need," she said.

She says people who qualify can sign up online for the prescriptions on the U-S Health and Human Services website.

At the morning Buncombe County briefing, Duke Energy spokesperson said about 27,000 households in Buncombe County should see their power restored today and another 69,000 households will get power by Sunday.

About 100,000 households across the area will still be without power at the start of next week.

Several substations were completely destroyed, Norton said, including the substation serving Biltmore Village. Duke Energy brought in a 200,000-pound mobile substation from Garner to help get power back up and running.

Norton said he anticipates rebuilding substations in a way that would be more resistant to storm damage.

With a quavering voice, Sheriff Quentin Miller shared that another 11 people have perished in Buncombe County from Hurricane Helene.

At the afternoon briefing, Sheriff Miller said that latest fatality count has risen to 72.

There are also still 200 people unaccounted for in Buncombe County.

Spokesperson Lillian Govus said there will be no "finite number" on those unaccounted for until search and rescue missions end. This is the 7th consecutive day of search and rescue missions.

The search and rescue will continue until "all resources have been exhausted." Those resources include drones, canines, trucks and high water vehicles.

Tractor trailers and big rigs hauling essentials such as food, water, supplies, and fuel are able to resume deliveries in some parts of Western North Carolina, officials say. Some roads are not open due to lingering standing water or damage.

NCDOT officials on Thursday told BPR — in response to some rumor as well as some confusion over an earlier emergency alert sent to phones — that authorities have opened access for lawful deliveries to grocery stores or other locations where resources are much needed.

Part of what sparked concern was an emergency alert sent to phones in the area saying, "Tractor trailers must stay on the interstate, otherwise you will get stuck."

A spokesperson interviewed on BPR News as well as a spokesperson from NCDOT connected to the state's joint information center based in Raleigh confirmed: Commercial truck drivers heading into the mountains to deliver food, supplies, and more, are cleared to travel off the interstate — provided the roads they plan to use are open and deemed safe by law enforcement.

"The damage is so severe in the region, we are telling drivers access is limited to local and hurricane response traffic. Any other traffic is hindering emergency response," an NCDOT official told BPR via email.

"We are getting several reports of trucks getting stuck on secondary roads. We are advising that trucks not critical to the emergency response effort stay on interstates."

NCDOT officials reiterated the need for volunteers not to "self-deploy" as the roads that are open need to be clear for first responders and authorized workers. Plus, unnecessary travel can further burden already-strained resources across the region.

Instead, the majority of local governments along with transportation officials have stressed the need to coordinate delivery of relief resources and deployment of volunteers. In a couple of small towns across the region, too, local leaders have said increased traffic and unsolicited volunteer groups have slowed local recovery efforts.

Some Hendersonville residents received a welcomed robocall today, informing them that their water is safe to consume.

Not all parts of the area have safe water. Residents must call (828) 697-3052 or check their address on the county safety water map.

The latest reporting from official government data sources indicates 100 people in North Carolina died during Hurricane Helene - with 94 of those being residents of Western North Carolina specifically.

In some areas, search and rescue and recovery efforts continue and an unknown number of people are unaccounted for or missing.

BPR gathered information from the North Carolina Medical Examiner's Office on Thursday as well as Buncombe County leaders on Wednesday evening.

According to state data, the youngest known victim to have died in WNC was a 7-year-old boy who drowned in Buncombe County. Further east, a 4-year-old girl died in a car crash on a flooded road in Catawba County.

Totals reported by local officials have been higher than those provided by state leaders over the last week. Not all of the 61 fatalities confirmed by Buncombe officials have been verified by state representatives - which is part of why the numbers are different.

Local leaders reported 61 people died from flooding, vehicle accidents, or landslides in Buncombe County.

Additionally, the North Carolina Medical Examiner's Office reports 41 deaths across the region and in places outside the mountains, like Mecklenburg and Gaston counties.

A total of 12 counties in Western North Carolina have confirmed Helene-related deaths, including: Buncombe (61); Ashe (1); Avery (3); Burke (1); Haywood (4); Henderson (6); Macon (1); Madison (3); Polk (1); Rutherford (2); Watauga (2); Yancey (9).

The water system in Asheville is sprawling and most water lines need to be completely rebuilt after the damage from Hurricane Helene, according to city staff who spoke with BPR this morning.

Large sections of the pipe washed down the river in some areas and debris from the floods has made water harder to treat.

The road to the treatment plant at Bee Tree road is “totally gone” and is actively being rebuilt. The North Fork plant which serves 75% of city is also inaccessible.

The Mills River plant is producing 3.5 million gallons currently – more than 1 million gallons than it usually does. City staff are cautiously optimistic they can increase that to 5 million by the end of the day. With that expansion, those in south Asheville should keep the running water they have. The city may also expand service in south Asheville but said it was “not a promise…but a wish and a hope.”

The water is still not potable and needs to be boiled.

As of Thursday morning, city leaders had not given a specific estimate of when running water will be widely available in Asheville, other than saying in recent days that municipal water service will take "weeks" to bring back.

Haywood County officials have opened a new supply center, which will offer both a shower facility and food for local residents.

The new Canton supply distribution center, located at the IP Sports Complex at 305 Silkwood Drive, will be open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6 pm.

Please bring your own reusable bags or boxes to carry items.

Volunteers will be directed here to bring supplies and hand out resources.

For updates, go here.

Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) will be available for pickup at Macon County Department of Social Services at 1832 Lakeside Drive in Franklin and Macon County Senior Services at 108 Wayah Street in Franklin.

Pickup time is Thursday, October 3, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at either location.

Megan Thurman

Across Western North Carolina, local communities are coming together to support those who are still unreachable after Helene.

Sylva native Lance Buskey and friends have partnered with the French Broad River Academy to distribute supplies. The team is working with local volunteers to reach those in need or those who haven’t been able to communicate.

Megan Thurman

Megan Thurman, who lives in Sylva, is one of those volunteers.

“We ended up checking on about five different residences that were so blocked in that they hadn’t even seen anybody. They didn’t know that the road was cleared that much. It was just so much relief speaking with someone in person,” Thurman said.

Thurman went to Town Mountain Road with a team including her husband Bryan. She says during the storm the area was hit by a tornado - whose path was clearly visible through the forest.

Megan Thurman

While going up the road in their vehicle they met a crew that had been slowly clearing trees on the five-mile road. They ended up having to hike the last 1.5 miles with backpacks full of supplies.

“They just couldn’t believe that someone made an effort to hike in and check on them in person and how crazy things were around them ... they still had no power and water and things like that,” Thurman said.

“Just seeing the posts that they were making about needing help of any kind and just feeling so useless here in Sylva because we really got so lucky and didn’t get hit so hard.”

The pair recently trained for a 362-mile bicycle race across the state of Georgia. Thurman said she had no idea that the training would come in handy for volunteer missions.

They plan to continue for the rest of the week.

Lilly Knoepp

Donations are being sent through French Broad River Academy’s non-profit arm the Salamander Fund.

For info and to give online, visit hurricanehelenewnc.com. Click on the “Donate” button and then “Salamander Fund.” Select the “dedicate this gift” checkbox and type in “Hurricane Helene WNC” as the description for your donation.

Mission Health hospitals have remained open with the help of hundreds of additional workers and supplies brought in from across the country.

Mission spokesperson Nancy Lindell says Mission Hospital - like the rest of Asheville - still does not have pressurized water. The hospital has brought in bottle water and water tank trucks.

“We're doing the best we can with all of those items but we need pressurized water. I can't speak to the timeline on that. That would be the city of Asheville,” Lindell said.

HCA Healthcare, the for-profit health system that owns Mission Health, has also sent additional supplies for staff, Lindell said.

Mission Health System has set up a website to share facility updates, community resources and the status of each hospital and office in the system. Here is the website.

The emergency rooms at all six regional hospitals are open, according to the website.

The Mission Hospital Cancer Center and Hope Women's Cancer Center are currently closed. If you have an upcoming appointment or need care at any Mission Health clinic, please call (855) 815-3783 to check clinic status.

The death toll in Buncombe County is now 61, Sheriff Quentin Miller announced late Wednesday afternoon.

That number rose by four after the county’s 10 a.m. press conference.

Asheville Police Chief Mike Lamb said that 45 additional local agencies from around the state are here to assist his department.

He also cautioned drivers from going into restricted areas because it endangers the driver’s life and that of first responders who are busy at work with rescues.

The police chief also warned of scams around the county in which people knock on doors and pretend to be accepting donations for charity.

Asheville city officials said in their daily 4 p.m. press briefing that they have been getting water from private vendors and estimated they only have enough to last until Friday.

They also announced another distribution center at the Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center. The site is in addition to the other two centers at Asheville Middle School and Pack Square.

The Jewish Community Center at 236 Charlotte St. will allow residents to fill containers with water from the center’s pool on Thursday and Friday starting at 10 a.m. This water can be used to flush toilets.

The city’s water infrastructure has seen “measurable progress” toward rebuilding, according to city officials, but was "catastrophically damaged" and is still weeks away from being fully repaired.

The William Debruhl water plant in Swannanoa is not accessible. North Carolina Department of Transportation crews are working on repairs to the road to the facility, commonly referred to as Bee Tree.

Repairs to roads to the North Fork plant- the county's largest- are underway, though electrical transmission lines are severely damaged.

The system's Mills River plant is the most operational as much-needed pumps have arrived.

Henderson County Resource Hub locations will be open today beginning at 9:00 a.m. for water distribution and other supplies as they become available.

The Resource Hub locations are:

• Etowah Elementary, 320 Etowah School Road Etowah, NC 28729
• Rugby Middle, 3345 Haywood Rd, Hendersonville, NC 28791
• East Henderson High, 150 Eagle Pride Dr, East Flat Rock, NC 28726
• North Henderson High, 35 Fruitland Rd, Hendersonville, NC 28792
• Mills River Town Hall, 124 Town Center Drive. Mills River, NC 28759
• Fletcher Town Hall, 300 Old Cane Creek Rd Fletcher, NC 28732

Free hot meals to go are served twice daily around noon and 5 p.m. at four of the resource hubs:

• Etowah Elementary, 320 Etowah School Road Etowah, NC 28729
• East Henderson High, 150 Eagle Pride Dr, East Flat Rock, NC 28726
• North Henderson High, 35 Fruitland Rd, Hendersonville, NC 28792
• Mills River Town Hall, 124 Town Center Drive. Mills River, NC 28759

Today, more than 50 AdventHealth physicians will be seeing patients at the Medical Office Building at 50 Hospital Drive in Hendersonville.

This location will also have a Walk-In Clinic for Primary Care open from 9 am to 4 pm. This clinic is available for people who are already patients of AdventHealth as well as people who are not current patients but need to see a primary care provider, according to the hospital.

AdventHealth Medical Group Family Medicine at Biltmore Park will also be open today.

Water and food was delivered to Transylvania County Tuesday by helicopter. Meal distributions in the community are listed below:

• Daily, 9am-11am, 12pm-2pm, 4pm-6pm – hot meals at Cedar Mountain Community Center (10635 Greenville Hwy)
• Daily until power is restored, 11am-4pm – Balsam Grove Community Center (8732 Parkway Rd)
• Daily, 12pm-2pm – meals at Bread of Life (238 S Caldwell St)
• Monday, Sept. 30 – Friday, Oct. 4, 1pm-4pm – hot meal from Smoke On at Champion Park parking lot (38 Main St Rosman)
• Monday, Sept. 30 – Saturday, Oct. 5, 12pm-4pm – hot food, water, and supplies at Destiny Church (48 Tiptop Rd)
• Friday, Oct. 4, 5:30pm and Saturday, Oct. 5, 8am and 12pm – meal and supplies at Rosman High School Old Gym (749 Pickens Hwy)
• Saturday, Oct. 5, 12pm-5pm – hot food at Bethel A Church (290 Oakdale St)

Water Filling Stations: Residents are asked to bring their own containers.

• 10am-2pm - City Sports Complex off Ecusta Road
• Cedar Mountain Canteen (10771 Greenville Hwy)
• Territory Brevard (43 S Broad St)
• DD Bullwinkles (60 E Main St)
• First Baptist Church Brevard Open 9-4

Mountain Bizworks, a regional nonprofit that provides loans and training to small businesses, is working to help local businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene.

Executive Director Matt Raker, based in Asheville, points folks to the nonprofit’s website for information about how to apply for state and federal support.

“Firstly we want to make sure that their people, their friends and family are accounted for," Raker said. "We know that is everyone’s priority," he added, along with getting essential services back.

“Once they are able to do that, (then) really take stock of what was impacted at their business, get a sense of what that is," he said.

The nonprofit serves North Carolina's 26 westernmost counties. Raker says the businesses they work with were hit hard and are still trying to understand the impact. He recommends they start with organizing the documents they will need to apply for relief.

The federal Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved a disaster declaration which opens up SBA disaster loans, Raker says.

Homeowners, renters, nonprofits, and businesses of all sizes impacted by Hurricane Helene can apply for assistance.

Here are more details on the program, as well as FAQs in English and Spanish.

Mountain Bizworks ofrece servicios especializados en Español.

Employees and self-employed individuals who are unable to work due to the disaster may be eligible for disaster unemployment assistance even if they are not eligible for regular unemployment insurance. Apply here. 

Mountain Bizworks is also working on setting up a local emergency fund. Raker says the fund should be available early next week.

North Carolina community group Rural Organizing and Resilience has begun aid distributions at 1685 Hwy. 213 in Marshall. ROAR is open from 2 to 6 p.m. every day.

ROAR typically organizes against racism in Madison County through education and outreach. Since Hurricane Helene swept through the region, it’s responded to need for emergency supplies in the community.

Matt Wallace, the organization’s co-founder, said despite state and federal efforts, many people haven’t been able to access aid.

Wallace was headed out Wednesday to deliver supplies to an isolated nursing home in Burnsville. He recounted the previous day.

“Yesterday, I hiked through the woods to a spot on the Ivy River that was cut off. They have no way to drive out to check on some people, so that's definitely still happening right now,” Wallace said.

Authorities have asked residents who want to help to stay off the roads as much as possible, so they don’t hamper search and rescue efforts. But Wallace said that because of poor cell service, many needs — including needs like medical supplies and water — are only being communicated via word of mouth.

ROAR’s mutual aid hub in Marshall also offers clean needles, NARCAN and other harm-reduction supplies. The group is soliciting donations for basic items like gasoline, baby supplies and medical supplies. ROAR is also coordinating volunteers to sort supplies and drive them to people in need.

There was already a housing crisis in western North Carolina. After Tropical Storm Helene, it’s likely that huge numbers of tenants will experience difficulty paying their rent and fixing their homes.

David Bartholomew, an attorney with Pisgah Legal Services, says special rules apply right after a storm like this, particularly as lack of electricity has interrupted residents’ access to their bank accounts.

“Tenants are going to have the option of canceling their lease if they need to, but they also have a right to stay there in the property and require the landlord to fix it,” Bartholomew said.

In North Carolina, evictions can only happen through the court system. And if your county court is closed, you can’t get evicted.

Until Oct. 14, Bartholomew said, “Legally, you can't be kicked out. You can't be locked out. And if landlords are trying to tell tenants that they have to leave, tenants should respond that they have to go through the court system.”

The best thing to do is get requests for repairs in writing, whether via text, email or letter. From that point, it becomes the landlord’s responsibility to take care of the issue, even if current circumstances may make the process longer.

FEMA also helps tenants, not just homeowners. Tenants can apply for individual assistance on disasterassistance.gov. Individual assistance doesn’t just cover housing repairs, but also gas, food, utility bills, hotel stays and other disaster-associated costs.

If tenants are confused about their rights or suspect that a landlord may be taking illegal actions against them, Pisgah Legal Services can be contacted online@pisgahlegal.org or 828-253-0406.

Tuckaseigee Water & Sewer Authority in Jackson County has rescinded it's boil advisory. Based on the laboratory analysis of water samples collected from Sept. 29 and 30, 2024. It is no longer necessary to boil water used for human consumption.

Basado en el los análisis de laboratorio de las muestras de agua recolectadas de la Autoridad de Agua y Alcantarillado de Tuckaseigee los días 29 y 30 de septiembre de 2024, se notifica a los usuarios del agua que ya no es necesario hervir el agua utilizada para el consumo humano.

On Wednesday, Duke Energy installed a new mobile substation to replace the New Salem substation lost in Swannanoa. Much of the local electricity transmission infrastructure washed away or was underwater. The new substation will function for three to four months, allowing the utility to reconnect 4,900 customers in the area.

About 570,000 customers are still without power in the Carolinas, with 247,000 in North Carolina. Bill Norton, Duke’s principal communications manager, said they’re still on track to connect about 90% of reachable customers by Friday, but that number excludes those whose homes are too damaged or inaccessible.

Norton said that customers struggling to pay their utility bills should call Duke’s customer service line at 800-777-9898 for residential service, and 800-653-5307 for businesses, or go to duke-energy.com/assistance. He said the utility will not disconnect customers during storm restoration. Norton said a date had not yet been given on when utility bill payments would return to normal.

Chief Michell Hicks announced on Facebook that due to the current state of emergency, the Eastern Band of Cherokee (EBCI) Tribal Government is waiving all late fees on payments such as water and sewer, levy, housing and rent through Oct. 31. Additionally, no water shutoffs will take place during this time.

The EBCI is still under a state of emergency, but Hicks announced on Monday, Sept. 30, that the 112th Cherokee Indian Fair would move forward this weekend as planned despite the storm.

The fair kicked off on Tuesday with the annual parade.

“The energy and enthusiasm from everyone was undeniable. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, with so many still recovering, this year’s fair feels even more meaningful,” Hicks wrote on Facebook. “It’s about family, neighbors, and friends coming together, sharing our traditions, and lifting one another up. As we continue the fair, let’s carry this spirit forward—celebrating our resilience and supporting those still in need.”

There is a bin for donations at the fair entrance.

Cherokee Central Schools will be closed on Thursday and Friday.

“We appreciate your understanding and continued support as we navigate these difficulties together,” Superintendent Consie Girty said on Facebook.

Hwy 441 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near the Qualla Boundary has reopened to regular traffic. However, it remains closed to all commercial traffic.

Like much of western North Carolina, resources like power, cell service, Wi-Fi and fuel remain spotty but available in some locations.

For residents without power or water on the Qualla Boundary, the Painttown, Big Y, Birdtown, Big Cove and Rough Branch gyms will be open for showers from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2 through Friday, Oct. 4.

No new deaths were reported in Buncombe County overnight.

County Manager Avril Pinder said 57 people have died in the county from Hurricane Helene.

Notification of next-of-kin continues to be a challenge because of lack of communications in the region, Pinder said.

She said she anticipates having more updates from Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller at the 4pm briefing.

At the Wednesday morning briefing by Buncombe County officials, local education leaders said the area's schools suffered "minimal damage" from Hurricane Helene.

Maggie Fehrman, superintendent of Asheville City Schools, and Rob Jackson, superintendent of the Buncombe County Schools, said their facilities sustained minimal damages.

The functional school buildings are being used to house emergency personnel and first responders.

There is no estimated date for schools to resume.

AB Tech President John Gossett also spoke at the briefing, noting that reopening would not happen for several weeks.

"The Executive Committee of the A-B Tech Board of Trustees have agreed that classes will be suspended until at least October 14," Gossett said.

The community college opened three buildings for disaster relief, he said.

The U.S. Postal Service issued a statement in response to Hurricane Helene:

"The safety of our customers and employees is the Postal Service’s top priority in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. At this time, we are still assessing damage and impacts. We are dispatching recovery teams to affected areas. The status of operations is being continually evaluated and adjustments made to ensure safe and swift restoration of delivery and retail services in locations as soon as possible. Efforts will continue as long as needed until full services are restored."

Cell service has been restored to most areas in Brevard, according to a post from the city’s Instagram page.

To request a welfare check from within the state of North Carolina, call 211. Callers from out of state can make those requests by calling (888) 892-1162.

Information about applying for Helene disaster assistance is on the FEMA homepage.

Wi-Fi signal is available from outside county buildings on the TCpublic network.

To dispose of spoiled food, residents can visit one of the dumpsters set out by the County. The closest location for most city residents is between the library and the county tax office.

Residents can take other household refuse to the county facility in Pisgah Forest. The landfill is also open as of October 1.

The National Forest Service issued a statement on social media asking the public to stay away from both the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests until assessments can be made and recreation sites can be reopened safely.

“Regardless of whether you're an experienced hiker, camper or off-roader, conditions on both forests remain hazardous, and if something were to happen, forest rangers and emergency services won't be able to reach you,” the statement read.

A new shelter is open in Buncombe County located at 1815 Hendersonville Road in Asheville. The shelter will provide power, water, food, and a place to sleep.

The shelter is being operated by Novant Health and the local Red Cross.

“The impact here is unimaginable, and our hope is that this building can offer vital resources to the people of this region,” said Dr. C.J. Atkinson, system physician executive, Novant Health.

For shelter details, visit RedCross.org/Shelters.

The town of Black Mountain was one of the hardest hit by flooding from Helene.

The Twn of Black Mountain provided the following information:

A distribution site for food, water, and public restrooms will open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Ingles in Black Mountain at 550 NC-9.

Hot meals will be served for lunch and dinner at the food and water distribution site.

There are many community organizations also distributing hot meals including area churches, restaurants and non-profit organizations.

Public restrooms are also available at the Visitor Center/Chamber of Commerce parking lot at 201 East State Street.

On Tuesday evening, Transylvania County reported no storm related deaths and no missing persons reports pending.

“There were over 150 specialty rescues including structural failures and swift water. Communications staff fielded 3 times the volume at the height of the storm and are seeing a sharp increase in calls as phone service is being restored,” a press release stated.

Shelters remain open at the Transylvania County Parks and Recreation Center and the Ag Center at the Asheville Airport. Shelters do not have supplies and do not have food, fuel, medical supplies or water to distribute.

Gordon’s pharmacy is willing to fill prescriptions, according to the press release. Residents are asked to bring prescriptions or labeled bottles to the pharmacy and cash or check.

Smoke On will be providing free meals from 1-4 p.m. at Rosman Town Hall on Tuesday.

The Hunger Coalition is doing a food distribution at the Family Place on Tuesday until 2 p.m. These distributions will continue at Family Place all week from 1-2 p.m.

There is not a general shortage of fuel or food. Citizens are encouraged not to hoard fuel or food to prevent localized shortages from occurring.

Some towns in western North Carolina, like Hot Springs and Marshall, shifted Tuesday from rescue mode to recovery mode.

Community members came together to shovel mud and haul chunks of soaked drywall out of businesses in the hardest hit parts of town.

Gerard Albert III

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BPR News

Other volunteers organized food and drinks in downtown and at Hot Springs elementary.

Community organizers handed out hundreds of packs of bottled water, hygiene supplies and a warm meal to residents who stopped by the elementary school’s gym.

Town leaders in Hot Springs are holding daily in-person meetings to inform residents at 11 a.m. downtown because cell network coverage has been so unreliable.

In the nearby town of Marshall, firefighters and other volunteers handed out supplies to residents at AB Tech's Madison location. The effort will continue on a daily basis until the area is re-established.

Gerard Albert III

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BPR News

Marshall also hosts a daily in-person meeting in front of the courthouse in downtown at 5 p.m.

Crews of volunteers are working daily to remove massive amounts of mud from businesses and homes in downtown.

Highlands Mayor Pat Taylor says that power has been restored in the downtown business district and some neighborhoods. The Macon County town sits on a plateau with an elevation of 4,000 feet and was hit hard by strong winds and heavy rains. Crews are continuing to work to restore power to other areas in the region.

“Highlands is bringing in additional electric crews to erect destroyed utility poles, which is a timely and detailed process,” Taylor said in his newsletter update.

Highlands Resources

• Supplies available: First Baptist Church at 220 Main Street in Highlands is operating an emergency aid station with essential supplies and support services. It is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Crews will restore power to other areas throughout the day and week. Highlands is bringing in additional electric crews to erect destroyed utility poles, which is a timely and detailed process. 
• Welfare Checks: Highlands Police continue to do welfare and damage checks throughout the town. 
• Welcome Center: Town Hall is open and staff continue to answer phones, questions and record outages. 
• Wi-Fi Access: Hotwire has some spot outages but most of their network is operational. Other communication providers are working to restore their networks. 
• Water Access: Sewer and water departments in the town of Highlands have operated throughout the emergency and continue to do so. 
• Garbage Access: The garbage service will run regular route schedules. 
• Road access: WNC state road closures are posted on the NC DOT website. 

Macon County Emergency Management Director Warren Cabe shared in a press release that damage assessments are continuing today in the county.

A few minor slope movements and one small dam failure have been confirmed.

“More damages may become apparent throughout the week as isolated areas especially in the Highlands areas become more accessible,” Cabe said in a press release.

The roads in and out of both Highlands and Franklin are now open but residents are encouraged to avoid Highlands unless absolutely necessary to allow utility crews to work in the roadways. Highway 106 between Scaly Mountain and Franklin is limited in one lane of travel in one section, Cabe explained.

HCA Healthcare, which owns Mission Hospital System, announced Tuesday afternoon that it will contribute $250,000 to the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County to support people affected by Hurricane Helene. HCA will also give $250,000 to the American Red Cross of North Carolina to support its shelter locations. An additional $500,000 will be donated to other community partners that provide direct support for hurricane-related issues.

“Caring for those in their time of need is our greatest calling at HCA Healthcare, and I am deeply moved by the resilience and compassion of our colleagues,” CEO of HCA Healthcare Sam Hazen said. “It is our honor to support organizations like United Way and the American Red Cross to help our western North Carolina communities through Hurricane Helene and its aftermath.”

HCA Healthcare says that before the storm it activated its Nashville-based Enterprise Emergency Operations Center (EEOC), which includes nearly 200 leaders, including community liaisons, clinical experts and specialists in supply chain, patient logistics, and air and ground transport. The EEOC is working alongside hospital leadership to distribute key resources to care teams in the Southeastern U.S.. HCA Healthcare colleagues from across the country, including more than 100 nurses, as well as physicians and HCA Healthcare’s incident support team, are continuing to arrive to provide support to local caregivers.

“Though the level of destruction is immense, I am proud of the dedication of our colleagues, who have continued to support our patients, our community and one another,” President and CEO of Mission Health Greg Lowe said. “We remain dedicated to helping our colleagues through this time, just as they have selflessly served their community and supported patients without hesitation.”

Haywood County Schools said that employees will likely be paid during the state of emergency.

Earlier this week, the county said staff had the option to work during the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene “so that staff can manage their own leave and earn pay, if it is safe to do so.”

Today the school system posted on Facebook that the state superintendent today told them that “it seems probable that employees will be able to be paid during this state of emergency.”

Haywood County Schools will be closed for both staff and students for the remainder of the week. A 48-hour notice will be given prior to reopening of school for students and staff.

Haywood County Resources 

• Community resource centers: Centers will be open at both Jonathan Valley Elementary at 410 Hall Dr. in Waynesville and Bethel Elementary at 4700 Old River Road in Canton beginning Wednesday, Oct. 2 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.. These centers will have nonperishable food and water. Hot meals will be available at no cost through curbside pickup for children 18 and under from 9-6 at these two locations (weekdays only). Supplies can also be picked up at Woodland Baptist Church at 545 Crabtree Road. 
• Donations: Woodland Baptist Church is accepting donations at 545 Crabtree Road, Waynesville, including nonperishable food items, bottled water and other essential supplies. For a complete list of needed items and information on individual and organization volunteer opportunities, visit theorchardnc.com/relief.  
• Water is available: Water tankers are available at Jukebox Junction, 6306 Pigeon Road in Canton and Crabtree Ironduff VFD, 99 Susie Noland Roadin Clyde from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Each person is limited to 1 gallon per day, and you must bring your own containers. 
• Medical Care: The First Aid Bus, located at Jukebox Junction, 6306 Pigeon Road, Canton, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering services such as first aid for cuts, scrapes and burns, as well as blood pressure checks, blood sugar monitoring and basic medical assistance. 
• Landfill access: The White Oak Landfill is open, along with the Materials Recovery Facility. Convenience centers will be open at Jonathan Creek, Beaverdam, Bethel, Hazelwood, Mauney Cove, Jones Cove, and Highway 110. 
• Emergency Shelter: An emergency shelter is available at 235 Armory Drive, Clyde. 
• Welcome Center Open: The Pigeon Community Center, located at 450 Pigeon St. in Waynesville, is now open as a welcome center. The center is open every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Food will be served daily at 2 p.m. The center has water, power, charging stations, shovels, trash bags and pet food available.  
• Welcome Center Open: First United Methodist Church in Waynesville, at 566 S. Haywood St., has opened a welcome center to assist community members in need. The center is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and offers food, clothing and shower access. 
• Welcome Center Open: Fines Creek Community Center, located at 190 Fines Creek Road, Clyde, is available to assist community members in need as a welcome center as well.   
• Meals available in Canton: Springdale Golf and Country Club, 190 Golfwatch Road, Canton, is offering free lunch from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.  

Haywood County Curfew: A curfew is in effect from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.. Please stay off the roads unless necessary.

ABCCM Medical Clinic at 155 Livingston St.in Asheville is offering medical care to anyone in need.

The facility is also accepting donations of medicine from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Thursday. For pharmacy information, emergency refill rules and general health recommendations in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, click here.

The drugs must be sealed manufacturer bottles that are unexpired and do not require refrigeration. No controlled substances or cancer medications will be accepted.

The North Carolina Board of Pharmacy is maintaining a list of pharmacies in western NC that are open. The list is being updated by the Board of Pharmacy every 30 minutes.

In a disaster scenario, there are different laws around prescriptions. Someone other than a patient may pick up medications. Insurance companies are required to pay for prescriptions that are filled early because of the disaster.

The death toll has risen to 57 people in Buncombe County, according to Sheriff Quentin Miller.

Fatalities are expected to increase as search and rescue teams continue to search for people who are trapped throughout the county.

The terrain has been difficult to traverse, involving “miles and miles of devastation,” said Scott Dean, of the National Urban Search and Rescue organization.

“We have gone to as many places as possible,” he said. But fallen trees, power lines, washed out roads and bridges, and “complete infrastructural failure” have made that work “extremely difficult.”

Dean urged residents to check on their neighbors whenever possible. “Do not rely just on first responders,” he said. “We all need to work together.”

Search and rescue missions have occurred on foot, in trucks, through air operations and boats, Dean said.

There are 600 people currently unaccounted for in the county.

Those interested in knocking on doors and assisting with wellness checks can visit the Register of Deeds at 205 College St. in downtown Asheville.

Sylva's Economic Development Director Bernadette Peters checked in on businesses downtown to find resources for the community. Peters shared this list with the Main Street Association. There is SkyFi available downtown and Wi-Fi at a number of local businesses including White Moon Cafe and City Lights Books Store.

Here are more resources and donation drop-off locations:

• Jackson County Emergency Management was working on a warehouse location on Tuesday morning for volunteers and supplies.. 
• Jackson County Shelter: The emergency shelter is now closed. 
• Volunteer Sign-up: Jackson County is asking for volunteers. You can sign up here. 
• Jackson County Emergency Line: You can still call 828-631-HELP.  
• Jackson County Schools: School is cancelled Wednesday, Thursday or Friday of this week. Each of these days will be an optional teacher workday. The JCPS scheduled workdays on Thursday and Friday, October 17th and 18th will now be student days.
• Meals available: Jackson County Public Schools served more than 1100 meals to the community today. Meals will continue to be served daily through Friday, Oct. 4 from 11:30-12:30 at Blue Ridge School, Smokey Mountain Elementary, and Smoky Mountain High School.
• Code Red Sign-up: Register for future Code Red emergency notifications here. These include evacuation notices.
• Birthstone Breastfeeding & Wellness Center is serving as a donation site for infant feeding supplies as well as other baby supplies, food, water, Clorox, propane and other resources. They have some people who can make deliveries locally. They can also store breast milk for anyone at risk of losing it and if anyone needs breast milk, they can contact her. They are located at 494 W. Main Street in Sylva. 
• The Community Table is accepting shelf-stable foods and water. They are located at 23 Central Street next to the Sylva Community  Pool for folks in need of resources. The organization says that it has limited outgoing calls, and internet, but is receiving incoming calls.
• Pray with Your Community: St. John’s Episcopal Church in downtown Sylva at 18 Jackson Street is holding a daily prayer at 5 p.m. through Oct. 4.
• Boil-Water Advisory: Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority customers are still under a boil-water advisory. 
  

  

The head of North Carolina’s Board of Elections said it is working with all 25 western counties in the FEMA-designated disaster area to ensure the state is ready to vote in the November election.

Elections Director Karen Brinson Bell said Tuesday that the state is confident it will be able to move forward with the election.

“This storm is like nothing we've seen in our lifetime in Western North Carolina. The destruction is unprecedented and this level of uncertainty this close to Election Day is daunting,” Brinson Bell said.

The state BOE has set up a website for voters who are impacted by Tropical Storm Helene.. The site contains information about U.S. Postal Service disruptions, resources and more.

As of Oct. 1, there are 12 election offices closed across the region; the elections office in Jackson County is open but has no internet service.

“This will be an ongoing process now until Election Day and even after Election Day. We do not have all the answers right now, but we are diligently working to figure them out,” Brinson Bell said.

Find out more about how to request a new absentee ballot or check your voter registration here.

With an unspecified number of people either unaccounted for or for whom loved ones have requested welfare checks, the county has asked volunteers to step forward.

Buncombe County activated a public welfare check request option over the weekend. Friends and family members sent in names and addresses of people in the area who they had not heard from.

Those interested in knocking on doors and assisting with welfare checks can visit the Register of Deeds in downtown Asheville (205 College St.)

Volunteers should be familiar with the area and have a vehicle with plenty of gas and a cell phone. Interested volunteers should come to the Register of Deeds between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Mike Stewart

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AP

FEMA Urban Search and Rescue teams are currently bringing law enforcement and military partners together to comb the terrain of Western North Carolina for people who may be trapped.

During a briefing Tuesday, agencies acknowledged they're having difficulty with search and rescue operations. They said the mountainous terrain - and the wide geographic spread and scale of destruction (an estimated 500 miles) is unprecedented.

"It has really slowed our pace to be able to get in there and get our assigned job done," said Captain Brian Beguet of the United States Coast Guard.

Across the region, there are more than 3500 federal responders on the ground, over 1,000 of these from FEMA.

Search and rescue missions are still underway, with 588 additional responders anticipated to arrive in the coming days. Agencies have shipped over:

• 1.9 million instant meals
• More than 1 million liters of water
• 30 generators

"In addition to that support, we registered over 150,000 households for assistance and already provided over $2 million directly to disaster survivors. We expect these numbers to rapidly increase over the coming days," FEMA Director Frank Matranga said Tuesday during a briefing with reporters.

Matranga urged everyone impacted by the storm to apply for assistance via disasterassistance.gov.

Since Hurricane Helene made landfall last Friday, President Biden has initiated major disaster declarations for 17 counties in Florida, 25 counties in North Carolina, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, 13 counties in South Carolina, and last night, 11 counties in Georgia. An additional major disaster declaration is in the works for east Tennessee.

The American Red Cross has also touched down in Helene-affected areas.

Denise Everheart, the organization's division disaster executive, reported more than 2,400 disaster survivors in 75 shelters from Florida to North Carolina. Populations are still increasing in North Carolina, with over 3,000 new requests in the past 24 hours.

Anyone with cell service who needs emergency supplies from the Red Cross can call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

Counties may continue to be added to the federal disaster declaration over the coming weeks, and will become for individual assistance, especially as counties report their damages to the states. Officials said it's crucial for counties to hear from survivors about what they're going through so that assistance is made available to every impacted area.

Gerard Albert III/BPR News

Montreat has no water, Town Manager Savannah Parrish shared at a press conference this morning.

Montreat – much like Asheville, Woodfin and Black Mountain – does not have a clear timeline for when water will return.

Three bridges were damaged during the storm, including Shenandoah Bridge and Lookout Road Bridge.

Montreat College has been evacuated and Parrish recommended that folks with gas who are able to leave should also evacuate.

Parrish also took a moment to dispel a rumor that the Lake Susan Dam breached.

“There is no water coming over the spillway,” she said. “It remains structurally sound.”

Bottled water is being distributed daily at the Montreat Gate from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Black Mountain, a town that closely neighbors Montreat, has seen some power restored.

There are currently 640,000 customers without electricity in the Carolinas, with the most outages in parts of upstate South Carolina and the mountains of North Carolina.

This includes 55,000 in Henderson County, 79,000 in Buncombe County, and all 8,600 customers in Polk County, among others, said Duke Energy communications manager Bill Norton.

Customers no longer need to report outages, as Duke is aware of them.

Norton said Duke is working rapidly to fix the problem but is currently focused on critical service hubs like the Asheville Airport and area hospitals. Norton was emphatic that almost all power that could be restored to homes would be restored by this coming Friday.

However, some customers, he said, particularly in remote areas, may be impossible to restore for now. Not everyone is in a position to receive power.

"I mean, we know that houses are gone, obviously that power is not coming back," Norton said.

"Roads are gone. And you think about the energy infrastructure that you always see, our right of ways are right along roads. If the road is gone, good bet that our poles are gone with it too. So that's going to be an extensive rebuild, but we are working on it right now."

Substations, which are essential for electric transmission - sort of like an interstate off-ramp for electricity - are also out.

Duke is bringing in portable substations as a temporary fix, but ultimately, many of these will need to be replaced.

360 substations in North Carolina were knocked out by Hurricane Helene in total.

As the climate has warmed, Duke has upgraded substations in floodplain areas, building flood walls in response to previous incidents. However, Norton said, this flood was unprecedented, with usual pathways to power restoration obstructed.

"Really our biggest challenge right now is twofold. It's communications and roads," Norton said.

You can track outages on Duke's customer outage map.

Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) on Tuesday urged those who are pregnant (36+ weeks) and families with newborns to evacuate Western North Carolina. The region is distressed post-flood by a myriad of major infrastructure issues, water outages or shortages, a lack of power in some areas, and extreme strains on local resources, including first responders.

Officials said MAHEC remains temporarily closed at all locations until further notice, due to lack of power and water.

The center recommends that pregnant patients at 36+ weeks now should evacuate away from WNC and parts of Tennessee so that they can safely deliver their babies outside the disaster zone.

The MAHEC Maternal-Fetal Medicine team said it is contacting patients with scheduled ultrasounds or known high-risk conditions to arrange urgent ultrasounds at Mission Hospital or to coordinate transfers to neighboring regions for further care.

Families with newborns are also strongly urged to evacuate due to the unsafe water situation, according to a press release Tuesday.

MAHEC pharmacists also recommend Healthcare Ready’s RxOpen to find locations where medications are available. The mapping tool highlights open pharmacies in areas impacted by natural disasters and public health emergencies like Tropical Storm Helene. It is recommended to bring your medication bottle for an emergency supply if the medication is in stock.

MAHEC will continue to provide updates.

Officials gave an update on conditions across Yancey County, saying extensive road and infrastructure damage is challenging first responders. Citizens with loved ones in the Burnsville area, in particular, have reported fearing loved ones are trapped and have not been reached.

In Tuesday's announcement, officials said: The Yancey County Sheriff’s Office is operating at full capacity, having implemented a statewide mutual aid plan to bolster local resources. Assistance has already been received from neighboring counties, including Stanly, Catawba, Chatham, Alamance, Wayne, and the Stanfield Police Department.

Burnsville Police and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol are fully staffed working tirelessly to ensure public safety and support recovery efforts.

Fire stations across the county are operating as points of distribution to provide residents food, water, and tarps as supplies last. Resupply efforts take place daily. Additionally, a shelter has been set up at Blue Ridge Elementary School, staffed by the Red Cross to provide support for those in need.

The Yancey County EMS Director has ordered an ambulance strike team, successfully securing five additional Advanced Life Support (ALS) units.

"We are currently facing extensive roadway and infrastructure damage, which is creating significant challenges for both responders and citizens. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is conducting assessments of bridges and roadways to evaluate the extent of the damage and plan for repairs. NCDOT and your Emergency Managers urge you to stay off the roadways except for emergency traffic," officials wrote.

Public Works staff have developed a restoration plan for a heavily damaged water system and are actively pushing forward with immediate repairs to ensure residents have access to clean water.

Specialized resources on the way include:

• Type 2 Swiftwater Rescue Team from New York (16 persons)
• Type 3 Swiftwater Rescue Team from Charlotte Fire Department (9 persons)
• All Hazards Incident Management Team – NC based (4 persons)
• Urban Search & Rescue Team from Charlotte Fire Department (17 persons)
• Communications Unit Leader/Technicians – NC based (2 persons)
• FEMA – Type 1 USAR Team from Texas (78 persons with 6 K9’s)
• All Hazards Incident Management Team from Southeast Florida (4 persons)
• NC Sheriff’s Association Mutual Aid Partners
• Ambulance Strike Team/Task Force (5 ALS units)

Utility companies are on the ground working. Due to extensive damage in certain areas, the full restoration of the power grid may take time, officials said.

The Yancey County 911 Center remains operational, though with limited capacity. Currently, 911 calls are being routed to surrounding counties and relayed back to the county's dispatch center through radio communication.

Agencies are diligently working to restore reliable phone and cell service throughout the area, leaders wrote Tuesday.

For updates and information, please visit Yancey County Emergency Management on Facebook.

On Tuesday, UNC Asheville Chancellor Kimberly van Noort announced UNCA is closed effectively immediately and students will be relocated away from campus within 72 hours.

“Since Friday morning, UNC Asheville has been without electricity, running water, or internet,” said van Noort. “We do have minimal structural damage to the campus, many trees down and many access points blocked but that infrastructure is improving daily.”

Prior to the storm, UNCA had over 1,600 residential students on campus and there were around 1,300 residential students on campus at the time Tropical Storm Helene hit.

UNCA officials were providing the remaining students on campus with water, three meals, and support services daily.

Due to the conditions on the UNCA campus, students will be relocated within 72 hours, explained van Noort.

“These efforts included helping students to identify safe routes, creating and connecting carpools, providing students with gasoline for their cars and relocating a very small number of students to another UNC system institution.”

UNCA will remain closed for the immediate future.

Town officials say crews are working this morning to open the roads still closed in Biltmore Forest.

Residents can pick up two bottles of water per person at Town Hall.

If you need to make a welfare check request for someone living in Biltmore Forest, go here.

Trash pickup in Biltmore Forest is canceled for the week.

"The transfer station is destroyed and no longer there," officials said Tuesday. "The landfill is open but access is currently difficult. We know it is difficult to hold trash, particularly in the forested area with bears. Please try to contain your trash inside right now if possible. We will have a substantial update this week on further plans. The recycling center in Woodfin was also destroyed so there is no need to worry about separating recyclables."

Town workers with drones are partnered with Duke Energy to conduct damage assessments. A timeframe for electrical service restoration was not available.

McDowell County 911 / Emergency Management has provided the following information about points of distribution for food and meals.

Locations will open daily from 10 a.m. to noon and then 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., as long as supplies last. The locations are as follows:

• Woodlawn: Hicks Chapel Church, 6008 US 221 N, Marion, NC
• Former TJ’s Discount, 8153 US 221 N, Marion, NC 28752
• Old Fort: Old Fort Town Hall, 38 Catawba Avenue, Old Fort, NC 28762
• Marion: New Manna Baptist Church, 225 East Court St., Marion, NC 28752
• Dysartsville: Solid Rock Free Will Baptist Church, 7860 NC 226 S, Nebo, NC 28761

Hot meals will also be provided by Grace Community Church at 5182 US 70 West, Marion, NC 28752. The meal times are as follows:

• Lunch: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Dinner: 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

T-Mobile teams will be in North Carolina and South Carolina offering charging and Wi-Fi connectivity at the following locations, during their open hours. Please check back for updates as additional locations may be added or changes made based on evolving needs. Here’s the information:

• Western North Carolina (WNC) Agricultural Center at 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher, NC 28732
• Asheville Middle School at 211 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
• Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center at 285 Livingston St. Asheville, NC 28801
• A-B Tech Community College at 340 Victoria Rd., Asheville, NC 28801

Drinking water will be distributed today (Tuesday) at Pack Square Park (70 Court Plaza) beginning at 9 a.m. Water will be available until 7 p.m. or when the supply runs out.

Each person will be provided 2 gallons of water per person, with a maximum of 5 gallons per family.

You must bring your own containers for water.

Parking is available in nearby lots and parking decks.

Approximately 400 incarcerated people were evacuated from Western Correctional Center for Women in Swannanoa and the Black Mountain Substance Abuse Treatment Center for Women in Black Mountain, the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction announced.

The evacuation decision was based on "the expected long timeframe for water and power restoration to these locations," the Department said in a statement.

The incarcerated women were transported by bus to other correctional facilities, including Anson Correctional Institution in Polkton, and others moved to North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women in Raleigh, on Monday.

"Relocated offenders will be able to make phone calls after they arrive at their destinations," the statement said.

The Department said an online service, Offender Locator, will be updated show where people are temporarily rehoused.

The 45 residents of the Black Mountain treatment center were moved to the North Piedmont Confinement in Response to Violation facility in Lexington.

One of the major arteries out of Asheville is now open, clearing a route for people leaving storm damage to head east.

Interstate 40-East reopened late Monday night after being closed for days due to damage from Tropical Storm Helene, a Buncombe County official confirmed.

The roadway is the primary thoroughfare for people traveling to Hickory, Charlotte or Raleigh.

Towns and communities to the east of Asheville, including Swannanoa and Black Mountain, suffered extensive damage from the storm. Access to the area has been limited, compounding search and rescue efforts.

Interstate 40-West remains closed.

Courtesy of Haywood County Facebook

The Haywood County Sheriff’s Office confirmed four deaths on Monday afternoon, and said fuel is on its way to residents.

Sheriff Bill Wilke said families of those who’ve died have been notified, but no more information was shared about their identities. His office has completed several hundred additional welfare checks, and he said the county is recovering quickly thanks to the community.

“Neighbors are helping neighbors. People are there in this county for one another sharing provisions and sharing the resources that they have to get through this terrible tragedy,” Wilke said.

Despite the destruction, Emergency Management Director Travis Donaldson said this is the most prepared Haywood County has been for a storm in recent memory, with 300 outside personnel jumping in to help.

Kevin Easley, chairman of the Haywood County Board of Commissioners, said food and fuel are estimated to arrive within three to four days for the roughly 13,000 residents who are still without power.

Easley urged residents to conserve fuel in the meantime and not to drive around looking for gas.

“Every county in Western North Carolina is experiencing what we are so you can't go county to county looking for something that they don't have because we only have what the other counties have. So please stay in your county,” Easley said.

Easley said that I-26 has opened and trucks from Greenville, SC are headed to gas stations.

There is currently a 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. curfew in Haywood County.

Haywood County Resources 

• Those still looking for people in Haywood County can call 1-888-921-1162 to get in touch with the Sheriff’s office.
•   There are currently two potable water drop points where you can go gather one gallon per day of water. Those addresses are 127 Plaza Loop in Canton and 2901 Soco Road, Maggie Valley.
•  The FEMA phone number for resources is 1-800-621-3362.
•   Haywood County's emergency shelter is open at 235 Armory Drive in Clyde at Haywood Community College. If you bring pets to the shelter, please ensure that they are crated with a collar,  a lease and up-to-date tags including rabies vaccinations required by North Carolina law. You also need to try to bring food water bowls and cleaning supplies litter bags, etc. for your pets.
• ·        The United Way of Haywood County is managing all donations for recovery efforts following Tropical Storm Helene. The website is UWHaywood.org. Or by mail P.O. Box 1139 Waynesville, North Carolina 28786.
• ·        Stay tuned for updates on where to drop off non-perishable food and water in Haywood County. 

Fletching Drone Photography

Monday night, Woodfin Mayor Jim McAllister shared an update on how the small town north of Asheville faired.

This is the first formal update BPR has received from the town that runs along the French Broad River since Tropical Storm Helene moved through the region.

The lower-lying sections of the town, especially on Riverside Drive, saw significant flooding. Fallen trees and power lines have made the streets impassable for days. Traffic signals continue to be out of operation, making driving in the area dangerous.

McAllister confirmed that water is also out in Woodfin, though for how long has yet to be determined. There is a major break in a key pipe that runs through a heavily wooded area, making it difficult for engineers to pinpoint exactly where the break exists.

The NC Department of Transportation has cleared debris out of the way and now the search for the break has begun. That part of the water system has not been dug up in a long time, making the repair work going forward both tricky and time-consuming.

Another challenge is that the township is unable to get the 25% of its total water supply that they usually source from Asheville to help maintain their flow.

There are also power outages in Woodfin. Trash and recycling services are paused indefinitely.

Silver Line Plastics, one of the town’s largest employers, saw great flooding damage. The Woodfin Wave, an ambitious project that aimed to create a man-made natural wave for kayakers in the French Broad River, was also wiped out.

One bright spot McAllister mentioned is that now every resident in Woodfin has street access.

There have been 40 stormwater-related deaths in Buncombe County, officials shared at a Monday evening press briefing.

One woman, a resident of Woodfin, died when a tree fell on her, Woodfin Mayor Jim McAllister said. Her name was not made public.

There was no update shared on the number of people missing at the briefing. The number was previously at 1,000. As of yesterday afternoon, that number went down to 600, county officials said.

As of this week, all recreational areas administered by the Forest Service are closed. The Forest Service would ordinarily conduct assessments to determine the extent of the damage in the area, but it’s impossible right now. Conditions are too hazardous to allow crews in. If it’s not safe for crews, it’s not safe for hikers.

“The public can help us in our efforts to reopen both the Pisgah and Nantahala by staying off both forests until our work is complete,” Forest Service public information officer Adam Rondeau said in a statement.

Rondeau added that emergency services have no access to the National Forest land at the moment, and any stranded hiker, camper, or off-roader would be totally on their own.

Courtesy of Asheville Regional Airport Facebook.

Asheville Regional Airport officials say residents should not go to the airport to collect relief supplies. They say the airport must remain clear in order for new supplies to arrive and be offloaded. All supplies will be deployed by FEMA and others at distribution points set up throughout the region, according to the airport’s Facebook page.

Commercial flights have resumed, but some airlines are not yet back to their full schedules. Passengers are advised to contact their airline for the most up-to-date flight information.

Passengers can check the Asheville Regional Airport’s Facebook page for regular updates on general airport operations and the arrival of resources, aid and government officials. Airport officials caution that flight information on its web site is inaccurate, as the site is not being updated due to internet issues in western North Carolina.

Ground transportation to and from the airport is difficult to find, as fuel shortages affect the region.

Airport officials say cars parked at the airport during the storm are safe, as the parking lot was not flooded. They say they will waive parking fees for the days during the storm and this week of recovery.

FEMA officials are on the ground today in Asheville, said FEMA external affairs officer John Mills. According to the agency, 10 search and rescue crews are on the ground with 10 more arriving today.

FEMA recommends keeping roadways as clear as possible to allow them to work.

Disaster Medical Assistance Teams are in Asheville providing emergency room medical support at hospitals, and 200 have been provided to the state.

FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams are going to the field, focusing on shelters, where they will assist survivors in applying for assistance. There are no details yet as to where exactly these field operations will be based, though they will be focusing on the 29 open shelters.

FEMA ground operations in Asheville will be operational by the end of the day, but this will happen more slowly in more rural counties. An exact timeline for the latter has not been given, nor has there been a timeline given for the opening of disaster recovery centers.

FEMA officials say 25 trailer-loads of meals and 60 trailers-loads of water have been delivered to the state, and a plane full of food and water has arrived at an operating base in Asheville. They are also working to resolve connectivity issues, with Starlink satellite systems to be deployed in each county to support communication between local officials and emergency services.

CORRECTION: This story originally stated that FEMA opened a disaster recovery center in Asheville yesterday. FEMA is working to provide assistance in local shelters but a timeline for disaster recovery centers opening has not been given.

Mike Stewart/AP

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AP

Residents of Buncombe County can obtain bottled water starting at 2 p.m. today.

Each household member can get a one-day supply of bottled water.

The locations are:

• 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

County officials say they are are working on developing a mobile distribution plan to reach those in need, and plans will be announced as soon as possible.

The families of four people in Haywood County who died from Hurricane Helene have been notified, officials announced in a briefing Monday afternoon.

People with missing friends or family in Haywood should call 1 800 892-1162.

A shelter is available at 235 Armory Drive, Clyde (At Haywood Community College).

At the briefing today, officials reminded residents of a curfew from 9pm to 7am.

FEMA is on site in Haywood County. The number is 621-3362.

The city of Asheville announced that it opened a water distribution site at Pack Square at 1pm Monday.

Drinking water will be distributed from 1pm until dark or when the supply runs out.

Each person will be provided 1 gallon of water per person, with a maximum of 5 gallons per family.

Everyone must bring their own container. None will be provided. Distribution is walk-up only.

Assistance will be available for those who cannot carry their water back to their cars. The community is encouraged to park in nearby parking decks and surface lots. Please do not park in roadways in order to avoid impeding on emergency response.

Courtesy of Asheville Regional Airport Facebook.

Asheville Regional Airport officials have announced Sunday afternoon that the airfield is open and operational.

This doesn’t mean that all airlines are choosing to operate - they have to assess their situations and determine what is possible, the statement on Facebook explained.

American Airlines said Sunday evening that the airline is hoping to resume with arriving and terminating flights tonight for the last arrivals of their schedule.

Delta and United Airlines plans to resume flying tomorrow morning, according to the airport.

“Stay in close contact with your airline to check your flight’s status before coming to the airport,” the airport reminds customers.

There are fuel shortages throughout the region so the airport recommends making plans to pick up your arriving friends and family if you can.

Optimum Internet provides internet to much of the Western North Carolina Region. On Monday morning, the company said that restoring internet will depend on when power is restored across the region.

“In many areas, power outages, flooding and identified fiber cuts from the storm debris all have impacted Optimum services. We are actively communicating with impacted customers through emails, texts and providing updates on our social media channels," Elton Hart, vice president and regional general manager for Optimum said in a statement.

The company said that it is working with the local power companies DOT and emergency response organizations. A spokesperson told BPR that Optimum is on the ground now at Advent Health Hendersonville Hospital "and throughout the community."

The spokesperson said there will be a Wi-Fi truck onsite, where the public can charge their devices and access Wi-Fi later this afternoon.

All of downtown Hendersonville has data service if they have Optimum, the company said. Optimum's retail store is offering free Wi-Fi for those that need it at 451 N Main St in Hendersonville, NC.

BPR will update this post with that time and location as it is available.

Haywood EMC, an electric cooperative, said on Monday morning that it has restored power to more than 7,000 members in the region. At the peak of the storm, 25,000 homes out of the 29,000 homes and businesses it serves in the region were out of power.

“It’s hard to describe the extent of the damage to our system,” Tom Batchelor, chief executive officer for Haywood EMC, said. “In many cases, it’s not just a repair effort, but a rebuild.”

There are still almost 18,000 people served by the cooperative without power most are in Haywood and Jackson counties.

The cooperative said it would take a week or more for all power to be restored.

Haywood EMC is backed by reinforcements from peer electric cooperatives in and out of state, as well as contract crews, tree removal experts and other support specialists.

Many in the Asheville area are still without cell service. T-mobile is bringing vehicles with satellite capabilities to help address the problem.

The SatCOLT (satellite cell on light trucks) provide cellular voice and data, along with Wi-Fi.

Individuals will be able to use Wi-Fi calling no matter their carrier.

T-Mobile is offering WiFI at
the  Western North Carolina (WNC) Agricultural Center at 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher, NC 28732.

More information here: https://www.t-mobile.com/news/network/hurricane-helene

Some much needed relief is coming to rural communities south of Asheville.

Henderson County is opening six Resource Hubs where officials will distribute water and other supplies as they become available.

Distribution starts Monday at noon.

The locations are Etowah Elementary School, Rugby Middle School, East Henderson High School, North Henderson High School, Mills River Town Hall and Fletcher Town Hall.

For residents of Transylvania County, free meals are being provided at 1 p.m. Monday next to the Champion pool in Rosman.

According to Transylvania county officials, the majority of power is expected to be restored by Friday.

Despite many counties cancelling school on Sept. 30, Clay County has a temporary internet connection and will be holding school.

"We worked throughout the day to assess and implement all available resources in order to make a decision regarding school. With that said, we are pleased to announce that Clay County Schools will operate on a regular schedule tomorrow, Monday, September 30th," the school system posted on Facebook.

The school will be providing breakfast, lunch, "and any other resources students may need."

Highlands Mayor Pat Taylor sent out a video update on Sunday evening. This is some of the first information that has been received from the town on the plateau in Macon County since the storm.

Taylor showed images of many downed trees in Highlands and a roaring waterfall at the Highlands Dam.

“We are struggling to get power restored to the town of Highlands. We experienced 21 inches of rain and super high winds that not only knocked our power pole lines down but it splinted and destroyed a number of our utility poles to a point where we will be working reestablishing the utility poles and reconnecting the lines,” Taylor said.

Macon County offices will be open tomorrow on a normal schedule, according to Macon EMS.

Officials warn not to drive through flooded roadways and be prepared for isolated power outages. If you live in flood prone areas be prepared for flooding events. Call 9-1-1 for emergencies but do not call 9-1-1 for road conditions or power outages, Macon EMS said in a press release.

Photo by Saedras Pare

No food, water distribution plan yet shared in Buncombe County

“We hear you. We need food and we need water,” Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder said in a press conference Sunday afternoon. “My promise to you is that we’re really close.”

Though Pinder says she wished they had a plan to share, there was not one available at the 4 p.m. briefing, the last dispatch from government officials this evening.

Officials have said that food and water is en route for several days. The region has been without access to food, water, power and cell service since Friday.

There are some supermarkets open, including an Ingles in Leicester, the North Asheville Harris Teeter and some gas stations, but lines are long.

For people who would like to contribute, Pinder said to email helenedonations@buncombecounty.org. Volunteers can reach out at volunteer@buncombecounty.org. There will be another Buncombe County briefing meeting on Monday at 10 a.m. – that briefing will be aired online via BPR stations.

Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers says that the town is still putting together the pieces in the aftermath of Helene.

“The problem that we struggle with and our citizens continue to struggle with is communication, our cellular communication is mostly nonexistent,” Smather said.

Smather lost cell phone and wi-fi service mid-storm and could not communicate with town officials or his teams, he told BPR.

“It is heartbreaking and unacceptable. You aren’t going to convince me that there weren’t things that could be done better,” Smathers said.

“I’ve said again and again the people of Western North Carolina deserve the best, especially in our time of need, which I think will go down as the worst natural disaster in Western North Carolina history possibly.”

Haywood County began encouraging the community to leave low-lying areas on Wednesday evening. Smathers says that Tropical Storm Fred, which killed seven people in 2021, taught emergency management before Helene.

“Because of our early preparations and lessons learned from Fred a few years ago, the county and town were best prepared as we could be – that couldn’t stop a storm. You can prepare all you want to but you can’t stop a storm like this,” Smathers said.

That there are no confirmed deaths in Haywood County, he said. The lack of communication has made information difficult to come by so Smathers advised caution on roads.

“I think a lot of roads aren’t passable. And when you get off secondary roads, I think a lot of bridges are out. I think there are roads from I-40 to Old Asheville Highway that there are just parts missing. I think there are a lot of places that are still dangerous."

Smathers said the town is recommending that people to stay away from downtown Canton.

The death toll from Tropical Storm Helene has reached 30, according to Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller.

Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder also shared an update on the 1,000 missing people in the county. As of lunchtime today, that number has gone down to 600, Pinder said.

People can report missing loved ones here.

Danger for landslides also continues, she said.

“Go to a designated public shelter if you have been told to evacuate,” she said.

AB-Tech has two shelters available – one at 16 Fernihurst Drive and a medical emergency shelter at 10 Genevieve Circle.

Black Mountain has received 16,000 gallons of water, Town Manager Josh Harrold said at a press conference Sunday afternoon.

Water is being distributed on Highway 9 in Black Mountain at Ingles Supermarket.

The town experienced devastating flooding from Tropical Storm Helene. The roads are “still pretty bad,” he said, but many of the roads are now clear.

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office says supplies from the Murphy area are on the way to Black Mountain.

“We were fortunate that the storm turned from us, but our community still stepped up to help those in need,” Fire Chief Al Lovingood said on Facebook. “It’s another humbling example of the generosity and compassion here.”

Here are the locations of free Wi-Fi available on the Qualla Boundary:

• Yellowhill Community Club: 1416 Acquoni Rd
• Big Cove Gymnasium: 8765 Big Cove Rd
• Big Cove Community Center: 8765 Big Cove Rd
• Birdtown Community Center: 1146 Birdtown Rd
• Peaches Squirrell Sports & Recreation Complex: 1212 Birdtown Rd
• Wolfetown Community Center & Gym: 27 Long Branch Rd
• Paint Town Gym & Community Building: 10 Old Gap Rd
• Big Y Community Building: 2641 Wrights Creek Rd

• Soco Community Club Building: 12 Burgess Dr

Haywood County Schools are closed for all students for the week of Monday, September 30th - Friday, October 4th.

This includes all sporting events and activities.

“Our thoughts are with everyone in our community as you begin to recover and navigate the impacts of this storm,” a Haywood County Schools announcement stated.

For staff, Monday and Tuesday are closed. Wednesday through Friday will be optional workdays so that staff can manage their own leave and earn pay, if it is safe to do so, according to the announcement.

Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools announced both would be closed all week.

Many other local schools have cancelled class on Monday, including Swain, Macon and Cherokee counties.

Clay County Schools announced at 2:00 p.m. that a decision would be made later on Sunday. A decision had not yet been announced at 5:20 p.m.

“We are aware of communication failures statewide, and particularly in WNC. We are working with local officials and actively working on restoration of phones/internet on campus. We will make a decision later today pending the progress of communication restorations. In the meantime, if your family has a need that we can assist with, please don’t hesitate to reach out,” the school system posted on Facebook.

Cherokee Central Schools are closed on Monday and Tuesday due to the weather.

Principal Chief Michell Hicks posted on Facebook that due to the hurricane the tribe “is committed to making sure our community stays connected.”

Anthony Penland, the Swannanoa Fire Chief, described a scene of “devastation” across Swannanoa at a Buncombe County press conference this morning.

Part of Old Highway 70, a main corridor of Swannanoa and the neighboring town of Black Mountain, is “not here anymore,” Penland said. Whole neighborhoods have also been wiped out and many sections of the roads are “dug up” in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene.

Search and rescue efforts continue in that area, he said.

Two private helicopters have begun delivering water to Swannanoa, dropping off the resources at the Harley-Davidson dealership on Patton Cove Road. Those resources have been rerouted to Swannanoa’s First Baptist Church, according to resident Justin Rose.

The American Red Cross is running a shelter at that church, Rose told BPR in a phone message.

Hearts With Hands, a nonprofit on Warren Wilson Road, is also distributing water and food.

Search and rescue operations are also in other devastated areas of Buncombe County, including Barnardsville, Black Mountain and parts of Fairview, according to the county.

Macon County Sheriff’s office confirmed that one of their courthouse security officers died in the storm.

“On September 27 at 11:30 A.M., a 911 call came in about truck in the river on Fulton road, with witnesses saying they they saw someone in truck before it went underwater," Macon County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook.

"It was soon realized that one of our courthouse security officers, Jim Lau, hadn’t returned to work from lunch and his truck matched description of the truck that was seen in the river,” the post said. Lau was found during a search on Sept. 28.

“Jim was very liked and respected within our department. He was known to be a hard worker, dependable, and he jumped in wherever help was needed. His absence will truly be felt in our agency.

We ask for prayers for this family and loved ones, and we ask for prayers for our department. Continue to pray for Western North Carolina as a whole; the tragedy that surrounds our mountain communities is unimaginable.”

NC State Highway patrol is the investigating agency for this event, and it is an ongoing investigation.

Macon County Emergency Management Director Warren Cabe said there are still communication issues in the county but that the Highlands and Cullasaja communities were hit the hardest with wind damage and flooding respectively.

Numerous water rescues took place on Friday and there has been at least one storm related fatality, Cabe said.

No one is reported missing at this time, Cabe said, but workers have not been able to complete all of the welfare checks that they are receiving due to the quantity of calls.

“We also just want to assure folks that are outside of the area that if you have family, friends here that you are concerned about and you aren’t able to reach them, that is probably because of the limited communications. We just want them to rest assured that a lot of folks here are fine but we just don’t have any way to talk to them,”

No estimated time of restoration for power in the Highlands and Cashiers area. There is road access through Buck Creek and Highway 64 East through the Cullasaja Gorge.

“We do still have some challenges on Highway 106 when it does open it will probably be down to one lane,” Cabe said.

Cabe said that Sunday was the first time that emergency workers were able to get up to Highlands to access the damage.

“Some of those areas are still not accessible due to the number of trees and utility poles that are down. Through our assessment yesterday, I know there was at least one home in Cullasaja that sustained major flood damage, a couple with moderate flood damage, and numerous homes and RVs with some damage.

Cabe says there is some spotty availability of cell service and wifi in the county. The county’s 911 service is functional via phone or text message.

“Ours, like most counties in Western North Carolina, are being rerouted to counties down east,” Cabe said.

There isn’t currently a timeline for when the region will be reconnected to communications.

“We would recommend that folks be patient. A lot of businesses are on a cash only basis because they have limited network connectivity so just be patient with those folks. We’re also asking that folks avoid the Highlands area unless absolutely necessary so that utility crews have the space that they need to do the job that they need to do,” Cabe said.

Residents looking for cell service in Asheville who can safely make their way downtown can use a cellular satellite trailer to connect with loved ones.

The city announced the limited service Sunday afternoon as cellular network outages continue to compound challenges in the region.

The trailer, offered through a partnership with Verizon, will be located at the Family Justice Center at 35 Woodfin Place.

"This tower will offer an opportunity for limited cellular reception within several city blocks of where it is parked," according to a statement from the city.

The tower will be operational late this afternoon.

The Nantahala Outdoor Center posted on Facebook that the Nantahala River Outpost was barely impacted by the storm.

On Saturday, the Center posted that the Rivers End Restaurant, the General Store, Outfitters Store and other amenities at the main campus in the gorge are open.

The Center warned community members not to travel as the road conditions are unknown.

The Center is also providing food and charging stations to the community.

Fletching Drone Photography

Nearly 100,000 Asheville residents may not have access to water for weeks, according to a press release shared by the city on Sunday afternoon.

“Extensive repairs are required to treatment facilities, underground and aboveground water pipes, and to roads that have washed away which are preventing water personnel from accessing parts of the system,” the city’s press release said.

“Although providing a precise timeline is impossible, it is important to note that restoring service to the full system could potentially take weeks.”

This news comes as Asheville residents are already facing severe water shortages. On Sunday morning, hundreds lined up at a Harris Teeter in North Asheville with hopes of purchasing water and other goods that are in short supply.

Laura Hackett

Mel Salla, a resident of the River Arts District neighborhood, said she arrived at 6 a.m. to make sure she could purchase water from the grocery store, which opened around 8 a.m. on Sunday morning.

Before the grocery store even opened, the line was astoundingly long – with hundreds of people winding through the store’s parking lot and along Merrimon Avenue. The grocery store allowed 10 people in at a time.

Officials from the City of Asheville and Buncombe County have not released a plan for distributing food or water to its residents yet. At a press conference this morning, Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder said that trucks of food and water are on their way, but have been stuck in transit.

At that conference, officials also shared that Weaverville is without power and water, but many roads in the town are now clear.

Residents with access to electricity are directed to vigorously boil water for at least one minute before any consumption.

Jackson County EMS spokesperson Shanika Allen said on Sunday afternoon that there isn’t a timeline for when services will be returned.

She says 9,000 people in the county don’t have power. There haven’t been any confirmed fatalities at this time.

Lilly Knoepp/BPR

“Jackson County has been very very fortunate - more fortunate than like Haywood County and Buncombe County when it comes to fatalities but other than that I’m not sure,” Allen said.

Allen could not confirm the number of rescues that have taken place in the county at this time or if there is fuel available in the county.

Federal disaster assistance is available to North Carolina to supplement recovery efforts in the areas, FEMA announced today.

President Biden's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

State, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations can also receive funds on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

The town of Bryson City is under a boil advisory. Before consumption, water should be vigorously boiled for at least one minute.

Several other communities are under boil water advisories including Haywood and Buncombe Counties.

Officials in Haywood County say emergency teams are "working around the clock to restore power, clear roads, and ensure residents’ safety."

There are still thousands of people without power and no estimates for restoration times. A curfew is in effect from 9 PM to 7 AM.

The Emergency Call Center number is 828-356-2020.

A shelter is open at 235 Armory Drive, Clyde, NC 28721.

Residents who need assistance with farm animals or crops should contact the Haywood County NC Cooperative Extension at (828) 456-3575.

With boil water advisories in Asheville, Waynesville, Canton and other Western North Carolina communities, government agencies and private businesses are making plans for water distribution.

Asheville City Council Member Kim Roney said there will be nine distribution centers in Asheville. More information about the locations will be available later today.

Pisgah Brewing Company (2948 US-70, Black Mountain, NC 28711) will be filling up water containers today (Sunday) from 2-5 pm.

In a statement Saturday evening, Governor Roy Cooper said 10 North Carolinians have died from the effects of the storm. The latest fatality was a man who drove his truck on a flooded road.

“The catastrophic devastation to western North Carolina is like nothing we have ever seen,” Gov. Cooper said in the statement.

Swiftwater and helicopter rescue crews have rescued more than 200 people since Thursday.

Missing individuals

To report missing loved ones, individuals should call NC 211 or 1-888-892-1162 if calling from outside the state.

People who are safe can mark themselves safe through Facebook or register with Red Cross Reunification by calling 1-800- ED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Fifteen shelters are currently open and housing approximately 500 people, the statement said.

Roads remain treacherous

Interstate 26 south of Asheville opened Saturday, but it remains the only major thoroughfare into the region due to damage to Interstate 40 and other routes, the statement said.

About 390 roads and dozens of main highways remain closed Saturday due to flooding, downed trees, landslides or storm damage. State officials said residents should avoid all travel.

"The N.C. Department of Transportation is prioritizing work to reopen interstates, U.S. and state highways before getting to secondary routes, but the department also is working with utility companies and local emergency officials to find alternative routes and to assist in maintaining access to shelters and restoring power," the statement said.

More than 400 NC National Guard troops and 146 vehicles are working to transport patients to medical care and deliver personnel and equipment in recovery efforts. The vehicles include high water vehicles to help with rescues.

Power outages continue to plague the region with the majority of outages in Buncombe County.

Water loss

Water plants in Avery, Burke, Haywood, Jackson, Rutherford, Watauga and Yancey counties are closed, the Governor's statement said.

According to the statement, 17 water plants are without power, and an additional 23 are operating on backup power.

Boil advisories are in effect across the region.

Southwestern Community College in Sylva will be closed through October 4.

Additional disaster relief shelters are open in Asheville, officials said Saturday.

A general shelter is now open in the A-B Tech/Mission Health Conference Center at 16 Fernihurst Drive (turn off of Victoria Road at the light by the Smith McDowell House). Officials said you must bring any bedding and comfort items required. No supplies are provided.

A shelter for people with medical needs is located in A-B Tech's Ferguson Center for Allied Health & Workforce Development at 10 Genevieve Circle and Victoria Road (across from the entrance to the Mission Health Emergency Department).

At the medical needs shelter:

• Bring any required medical devices or supplies with you.
• This location supplies power for medical devices.

People who need to shelter with their pets should go to the emergency shelter located at the WNC Agriculture Center. Pets are not allowed at the A-B Tech shelters.

Also Saturday, campus leaders announced that A-B Tech will be closed until further notice.