Governor Cooper Surveys Storm Damage in Buncombe County as Resources Continue to Surge into Western North Carolina During Unprecedented Response to Hurricane Helene

Read the Governor's Executive Order focused on addressing urgent needs related to drinking water and wastewater treatment in areas impacted by the storm.

North Carolina's unprecedented response to the impacts of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina remains in full force as responders at the state, federal and local levels continue efforts to surge resources and bring assistance into affected areas. This morning, Governor Cooper was joined by FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and other state officials for a press briefing regarding storm recovery efforts. This afternoon, Governor Cooper traveled to Buncombe County to survey storm damage, see relief efforts, thank volunteers and speak with people impacted by the storm.

Law enforcement is working to ensure the safety of responders amid reports of threats and misinformation. FEMA officials remain in communities and have resumed door-to-door operations to help people impacted by these storms recover as quickly as possible following reports of threats on the ground. Governor Roy Cooper has directed the Department of Public Safety to work with local law enforcement to identify specific threats and rumors and coordinate with FEMA and other partners to ensure the safety and security of all involved as this recovery effort continues.

"Today I traveled to Asheville, Fairview and Swannanoa to see the critical work being done to get people federal assistance, hot meals and other resources they need as they deal with the impacts of Hurricane Helene," said Governor Cooper. "I'm thankful for our law enforcement officers, first responders, volunteers and many others who are helping people in need."

The Governor visited a Disaster Recovery Center operating at A.C. Reynolds High School in Asheville where those affected by the storm can get assistance from FEMA and the Small Business Administration. The Governor also visited the Fairview Fire Department, which sustained major flooding and damage from the storm. Lastly, the Governor visited a Community Care Station in Swannanoa providing resources and hot meals to community members and emergency responders.

Governor Cooper also issued an executive order today focused on addressing urgent needs related to drinking water and wastewater treatment in those counties impacted by Hurricane Helene. The Council of State concurred in a provision of the Order which allows the North Carolina Division of Water Resources to accelerate the timelines for repair to numerous facilities and other infrastructure damaged by Helene to ensure that impacted North Carolinians are able to obtain access to safe drinking water and wastewater treatment as soon as possible.

The Order also directs NCDEQ to address the impacts of Helene on utility systems in the impacted areas. Specifically, the Order directs NCDEQ to assess the impacts of Helene across the impacted region, provide technical and financial support for drinking water systems, wastewater treatment facilities, and other infrastructure sites, and also to help expedite clean-up processes.

In the immediate aftermath of this storm, because of massive communication outages in Western North Carolina, many people called 2-1-1 to report friends or family they couldn't get in touch with. When phone service began to return, many people located their loved ones but that information doesn't usually make it back to 2-1-1.

The Department of Public Safety formed a task force to find who is still unaccounted for and focus efforts where needed. This is not a definitive count because the task force is continuing its work. This number will continue to fluctuate as more reports come in and others are resolved. As of today, the task force number of unaccounted for people is 92.

North Carolina National Guard and Military Response
Approximately 3,400 Soldiers and Airmen are working in Western North Carolina. Joint Task Force- North Carolina, the task force led by the North Carolina National Guard is made up of Soldiers and Airmen from 12 different states, two different XVIII Airborne Corps units from Ft. Liberty, a unit from Ft. Campbell's 101st Airborne Division, and numerous civilian entities are working side-by-side to get the much-needed help to people in Western North Carolina.

National Guard and military personnel are operating 11 aviation assets and approximately 1,200 specialized vehicles in Western North Carolina to facilitate these missions. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is helping to assess water and wastewater plants and dams. Residents can track the status of the public water supply in their area through this website.

FEMA Assistance
More than $99 million in FEMA Individual Assistance funds have been paid so far to Western North Carolina disaster survivors and more than 174,000 people have registered for Individual Assistance. More than 1,900 households are now housed in hotels through FEMA's Transitional Sheltering Assistance.

1,200+ FEMA staff are in the state to help with the Western North Carolina relief effort. In addition to search and rescue and providing commodities, they are meeting with disaster survivors in shelters and neighborhoods to provide rapid access to relief resources. They can be identified by their FEMA logo apparel and federal government identification.

The Major Disaster Declaration requested by Governor Cooper and granted by President Biden now includes 27 North Carolina counties (Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey) and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

North Carolinians can apply for Individual Assistance by calling 1-800-621-3362 from 7am to 11pm daily or by visiting www.disasterassistance.gov, or by downloading the FEMA app. FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs.

Help from Other States
More than 1,500 responders from 38 state and local agencies have performed 140 missions supporting the response and recovery efforts through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). This includes public health nurses, emergency management teams supporting local governments, veterinarians, teams with search dogs and more.

Beware of Misinformation
North Carolina Emergency Management and local officials are cautioning the public about false Helene reports and misinformation being shared on social media. NCEM has launched a fact versus rumor response webpage to provide factual information in the wake of this storm. FEMA also has a rumor response webpage.

Efforts continue to provide food, water and basic necessities to residents in affected communities, using both ground resources and air drops from the NC National Guard. Food, water and commodity points of distribution are open throughout Western North Carolina. For information on these sites in your community, visit your local emergency management and local government social media and websites or visit ncdps.gov/Helene.

Storm Damage Cleanup
If your home has damages and you need assistance with clean up, please call Crisis Cleanup for access to volunteer organizations that can assist you at 844-965-1386.

Power Outages
Across Western North Carolina, approximately 12,500 customers remain without power, down from a peak of more than 1 million. Overall power outage numbers will fluctuate up and down as power crews temporarily take circuits or substations offline to make repairs and restore additional customers.

Road Closures
Some roads are closed because they are too damaged and dangerous to travel. Other roads still need to be reserved for essential traffic like utility vehicles, construction equipment and supply trucks. However, some parts of the area are open and ready to welcome visitors which is critical for the revival of Western North Carolina's economy. If you are considering a visit to the area, consult DriveNC.gov for open roads and reach out to the community and businesses you want to visit to see if they are welcoming visitors back yet.

NCDOT currently has approximately 2,100 employees and 1,100 pieces of equipment working on approximately 6,700 damaged road sites.

Fatalities
Ninety-five storm-related deaths have been confirmed in North Carolina by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. This number is expected to rise over the coming days. The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will continue to confirm numbers twice daily. If you have an emergency or believe that someone is in danger, please call 911.

Volunteers and Donations
If you would like to donate to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, visit nc.gov/donate. Donations will help to support local nonprofits working on the ground.

For information on volunteer opportunities, please visit nc.gov/volunteernc.

Additional Assistance
There is no right or wrong way to feel in response to the trauma of a hurricane. If you have been impacted by the storm and need someone to talk to, call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990. Help is also available to anyone, anytime in English or Spanish through a call, text or chat to 988. Learn more at 988Lifeline.org.

If you are seeking a representative from the North Carolina Joint Information Center, please email [email protected] or call 919-825-2599.

For general information, access to resources, or answers to frequently asked questions, please visit ncdps.gov/helene.

If you are seeking information on resources for recovery help for a resident impacted from the storm, please email [email protected].

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