Hurricane Helene Recovery progresses in Western North Carolina

A vast array of relief resources continues to flow into Western North Carolina to assist in Hurricane Helene recovery.

More than 1,500 North Carolina National Guard personnel at work in Western NC are being supported by soldiers from the 18th Airborne Corps headquartered at Fort Liberty. Those soldiers are partnered with NCDOT to assist in clearing roads and with county emergency managers in distributing commodities. Soldiers are also assisting with search and rescue, and air traffic control - managing the large number of aircraft flying relief missions over western counties.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is assisting with assessing water and wastewater plants and dams.

More than $27 million FEMA Individual Assistance funds have been paid so far to Western NC disaster survivors and more than 83,000 people have registered for Individual Assistance. Nearly 1,400 people are now housed in hotels through FEMA's Transitional Sheltering Assistance.

More than 755 FEMA personnel are on the ground assisting in 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.

More than 1,100 responders from 34 states are supporting 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.

"Resources from around the nation are at work helping Western North Carolina's storm response and recovery," said Governor Roy Cooper. "We are grateful for assistance that's supporting the thousands of our North Carolina responders."

Governor Cooper issued an executive order that increases the capacity of the healthcare workforce to respond to Helene by making it easier for healthcare professionals licensed in other states, recent retirees, and others with necessary skills to assist with North Carolina's response and recovery. In addition, the order authorizes the State Health Director to issue standing orders for emergency medications and authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to modify or waive fees for replacement of vital records.

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 is also maintaining a rumor response webpage.

Food, Water and Commodity Points of Distribution
Efforts continue to provide food, water and basic necessities to residents in affected communities, utilizing both ground resources and air drops from the NC National Guard. More than 97,000 hot meals have been prepared and served by mobile kitchens and another 25,000 are expected to be served today.

Food, water and commodity points of distribution have been opened 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.

Points of distribution for commodities have been established in each impacted county. Many of these locations are also providing free public Wi-Fi for area residents. Seek information from local governments for the most up-to-date location in your county.

Power Outages
Across Western North Carolina, approximately 173,000 customers remain without power at 11:30 a.m., down from a peak of more than one million. Power has been restored to more than 800,000 customers. 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.

Missing Persons
To report a missing person or request non-emergency support, please call NC 211 or 1-888-892-1162 if calling from out-of-state.

Shelters
A total of 22 shelters are open in Western North Carolina and housed more than 915 people and 102 pets last night. Plans are in place to open additional shelters as needed to accommodate additional needs. A shelter for those with special medical needs is caring for 13 people.

Search and Rescue Operations
Search and rescue operations are ongoing in Western North Carolina. A total of 53 search and rescue teams from North Carolina and beyond, consisting of more than 1600 personnel have conducted search and rescue operations during this event. Search and rescue teams have interacted with over 5400 people, including assists, evacuations and rescues.

Road Closures
Travel remains dangerous, with approximately 650 roads closed as of Saturday morning. As connectivity and reporting measures improve, this number may increase. NCDOT is asking people to refrain from unnecessary travel to or in Western North Carolina. Road access is limited to local and hurricane response traffic as crews work to restore critical routes and access to communities isolated by damage. First responders also want to keep the roads as clear as possible to help ensure they may carry out all response missions. NCDOT has posted at ncdot.gov an interstate detour map for travelers to avoid western N.C. NCDOT is currently using the following resources to assist with the recovery process:

• 2,050+ employees, plus 70 contract companies
• 900 trucks, graders & backhoes/loaders
• 5,000 barricades & signs

Cellphone Provider Coverage
Cellphone providers are working to fix the damage and coverage issues caused by the storm and get stopgap solutions, such as temporary cell phone towers, in place and rapid progress is being made. Restoring communications is critical to saving lives, finding where people are and getting in supplies, and Governor Cooper been in constant contact with cellphone companies urging action and offering support. Please turn your cell phone off and restart it periodically to allow it to reconnect when a network is reestablished.

Fatalities
Sixty-eight storm-related deaths have been confirmed in North Carolina by Office of Chief Medical Examiner. We do expect that this number will continue 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. To report that you have been unable to reach a person in Western North Carolina, please call 211.

North Carolina National Guard and Military Response
Gov. Cooper has activated more than 1,500 North Carolina National Guard soldiers and airmen to both conduct search and rescue operations and deliver critical supplies to Western North Carolina. As of Saturday, those troops had moved 3.5 million pounds of commodities. National Guard and military personnel from NC and other states are operating 50 helicopters, and more than 400 specialized vehicles in Western North Carolina to facilitate these missions.

President Biden approved Governor Cooper's request for active-duty military personnel and equipment to support ongoing operations in Western North Carolina.

Volunteers and Donations
Due to dangerous road conditions, and the need to maintain open routes for emergency operations, travel to Western North Carolina is strongly discouraged. Instead, consider the following options for donations and volunteer opportunities:

• If you would like to donate to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, visit nc.gov/donate.
• If you are seeking information on volunteer opportunities, please visit nc.gov/working/volunteer-opportunities/volunteernc.

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.

Major Disaster Declaration and FEMA Assistance
More than $28 million FEMA Individual Assistance funds have been paid so far to Western NC homeowners and renters and more than 70,000 people have registered for Individual Assistance. Nearly 1,400 people are now housed in hotels through FEMA's Transitional Sheltering Assistance.

The Major Disaster Declaration requested by Governor Cooper and granted by President Biden now includes 27 North Carolina counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, with this week's addition of Mecklenburg and Swain counties. This declaration paves the way for Public Assistance to help our hard-hit local governments, in addition to Individual Assistance for homeowners and renters. On Wednesday, President Biden announced the approval of 100% FEMA reimbursement for six months, a significant funding commitment from the federal government.

FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs. Homeowners and renters in 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 counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians can apply.
North Carolinians may 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.

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.

If you would like 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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