Buncombe Co. faces active natural disaster

Editor’s note: This live coverage will be continuously updated.

Helene brought heavy rain and strong winds to North Carolina overnight and into Friday morning after making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Florida.

The storm left thousands without power across the state. Follow along for live updates here.

Widespread power outages persist

Most people who went to bed Friday night with no electricity woke up Saturday still without power. And while Duke Energy has posted restoration times for some areas (one of which are in WNC), it’s still a guess as to when power will be restored across the region. Duke Energy reports that more than 1 million customers are without power across North and South Carolina.

Buncombe County was the hardest hit with power outages. At one point Friday, More than 200,000 Duke Energy customers were without electricity. That number dropped to around 100,000 Friday afternoon, and that hasn’t changed much so far Saturday. Henderson County also was hit hard, with nearly 70,000 Duke customers without power.

In South Carolina, there are more than 230,000 Duke customers without power in Greenville County, more than 150,000 in Spartanburg County and almost 90,000 in Anderson County.

Here are outage reports as of 11:30 a.m. Sept. 28 for WNC.

Duke Energy customers without power

Avery County: 805 (repairs and damage assessment underway)
Buncombe: 100,841 (repairs and damage assessment underway)
Haywood: 10,116 (repairs and damage assessment underway)
Henderson: 69,195 (repairs and damage assessment underway)
Jackson: 9,642 (repairs and damage assessment underway)
Macon: 8,188 (repairs and damage assessment underway)
Madison: 404 (repairs and damage assessment underway)
McDowell: 19,739 (repairs and damage assessment underway)
Mitchell: 4,700 (repairs and damage assessment underway)
Polk: 11,448 (repairs and damage assessment underway)
Rutherford: 28,715 (repairs and damage assessment underway)
Swain: 840 (repairs and damage assessment underway)
Transylvania:13,937 (repairs and damage assessment underway)
Yancey: 471 (repairs and damage assessment underway)

French Broad EMC members without power

Buncombe: 6,007
Madison: 14,845
McDowell: 85
Mitchell: 5,575
Yancey: 13,863

Haywood EMC members without power

Buncombe: 2,522
Haywood: 10,352
Jackson: 2,336
Macon: 2,175
Transylvania: 2,714

Airlines mostly halted

Most airlines are canceling flights today, according to a 10 a.m. update posted to the Asheville Regional Airport Facebook page Sept. 28.

The post said passengers should confirm their flight status with the airline before coming to the airport. Internet and phone service has been impacted by Helene. The airport is open and flights can take off and land, but the airport is facing “operational difficulties” due to the outages and staff being unable to get to work.

Sept. 28, morning update: No cellular coverage, rivers still at ‘major flood status’

The morning after Tropical Storm Helene wreaked what Buncombe County has billed as a “catastrophic natural disaster,” dawned with all rivers still at “major flood status,” per an 8 a.m. news release from the county.

Since Sept. 26, the county has received 5,566 911 calls and urged people not to call to report downed trees, power lines or outages.

More than 130 water rescue missions have been conducted.

“I cannot stress enough how important it is to stay away from the water,” said Buncombe County Fire Marshal Kevin Tipton. “There are down power lines in the water, sewage in the water, and an incredible amount of debris. It is not safe.”

The 911 center will not provide updates on road conditions, power restoration or internet service, it said. I-40 and I-26 are impassable in multiple locations, and the county repeated a refrain from the day before: All roads in Western North Carolina should be considered closed.

Go to drivenc.gov for current road conditions.

Lifesaving response continues to be the priority for emergency medical crews, according to the release, “however, they are beginning to triage other calls.”

What about emergency shelter?

The emergency shelter at the WNC Agriculture Center in Fletcher is currently serving 400 people, with a capacity of about 500. An additional shelter at A-B Technical Community College will open as soon as roads into the location are passable, the county said.

Cellular coverage?

Buncombe County remains without cellular coverage. There is no ETA for restoration, said the 9 a.m. release.

Water outages?

A late night update from the city, at around 9 p.m., said weather conditions have resulted in at least one significant water line break. As a result, customer in parts of the system are experiencing reduced or no water pressure.

It cautioned that fully restoring service to the water system will take “some time.”

“Because large portions of the city are still underwater and many roads remain closed, Water Resources’ ability to assess the system is extremely limited. As a result you may experience low pressure or no water,” the news release said. “If you have water, but do not have the ability to boil it because of lack of electricity, please rely on bottled water for consumption.”

Buncombe County has established a non-emergency line for community reports of things such as downed trees and debris at 828-250-6650.

ART service suspended

A morning update from the city said Asheville Rides Transit bus services are suspended until further notice.

Instead of regular route services, buses have been redirected to support relief efforts. ART was able to successfully transport over 578 individuals in need to shelters, the release said.

City buses were pulling away from the Harrah’s Cherokee Center shelter at around 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27, “special assignment” on the destination signs. Bikes sat in racks at the front of some of the buses.

French Broad expected to crest at historic level tonight

During the evening of Sept. 27, the French Broad River broke previous historic records set in the 1916 floods. The river nearly reached 25 feet in the late afternoon, breaking the July 16, 1916, record of 23.1 feet, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration records. The river is expected to crest at 8 p.m.

Western North Carolina officials are calling the event the worst natural disaster of a lifetime.

At the same time, downtown Asheville seemed almost business as usual. Though the clutter of tree branches still sat on sidewalks, some bars were busy and overflowing onto the street. Some businesses have posted water outage notices, while others have closed their doors with darkened storefronts. Despite a 7:30 p.m. curfew, traffic lingered along Patton Avenue just 15 minutes before it.

Social media photos, videos show Helene’s destruction

As Tropical Storm Helene rolled through North Carolina Friday, bringing heavy rains and floodwaters that will take days to recede, residents took to social media to document the destruction.

There were photos of people trying to escape from homes and videos of rivers overflowing their banks. Some areas weren’t accessible Friday as the floodwaters continued to rise.

More than 3,349 calls to 911 in 10 hours

Assistant Fire Chief Jeremy Knighton said the department is staffing over 200 firefighter who are actively “in the streets, rescuing our fellow community members.”

City and county officials encouraged people to text 911 if calls are not going through.

Buncombe County Assistant Emergency Services Director Ryan Cole said crews are prioritizing “lifesaving missions.”

“As calls come in for 911, we have to determine which have the highest priority,” he said. From 5 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sept. 27, he said the 911 call center received over 3,349 calls, where they were handling 9-10 calls per minute.

More than 130 swiftwater rescues have occurred since the beginning of the weather event.

“We are unequivocally in the most significant natural disaster of our lifetime here in Buncombe County, and maybe in history,” Cole said.

He also acknowledged the “significant efforts” of first responders who have not stopped working for the last three days, and will keep going until the disaster is resolved, “which is not going to be anytime soon.”

“This is something that we are going to be dealing with for many days and weeks to come. So please, be patient, work with us,” Cole said.

“Do everything you can to look out for each other.”

More than 100,000 people remain without power due to downed trees and landslides, and there are more than 300 trees blocking roadways, said a 6 p.m. news release from the county.

The release said the new shelter, which county officials announced earlier was slated for A-Tech, was set to open Saturday, Sept. 28.

Despite the rain clearing, flooding persists, the French Broad River has yet to crest.

Any reported fatalities?

Buncombe County officials said at the 4 p.m. briefing that they do not have a fatality count.

“We have not gotten all our reports in from the field,” said Buncombe County Emergency Services Assistant Director Ryan Cole. “We are still looking at that information and will be compiling that. And once we get that compiled, once all notifications are made, then we will be able to look at that information and have that out.”

In her opening remarks, Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder referenced “possible causalities,” and said officials did not have total counts for casualties, injuries or damage to personal property.

Curfew announced for Asheville, starts at 7:30 p.m.

A curfew has been announced for the City of Asheville from 7:30 p.m.-7:30 a.m. beginning Friday and running nightly through Sept. 29 because most of the city remains without power, Asheville Police Department Chief Mike Lamb said during a joint conference with Buncombe County.

“So that’s going to be from nightfall all the way until dawn,” Lamb said.

There have been more than 60 water rescues as a result of flooding from Tropical Storm Helene, Buncombe County Assistant Emergency Services Director Ryan Cole said. Almost 200 firefighters are actively responding to calls across the city, Asheville Assistant Fire Chief Jeremy Knighton said during the conference.

The curfew is being enacted to help make sure residents don’t accidentally wander into rising waters, officials said. Intersections are also dangerous for travelers because of downed traffic signals, they said.

Third emergency shelter to open in Buncombe County

Buncombe County will open a third emergency shelter at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College’s conference center, on Fernihurst Drive, County Manager Avril Pinder said at a 4 p.m. briefing livestreamed on Facebook.

Emergency shelters were already established at the WNC Agriculture Center in Fletcher and at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in downtown Asheville.

There are more than 400 people at the Harrah’s, Pinder said, and it is close to reaching capacity. The Ag Center has about 150 people there now and a capacity of 500.

“AB-Tech is being staffed up now. We don’t have power, as you know, so we’re working through what does that look like not to have power at a shelter,” Pinder said. It would also have a 500-person capacity.

Officials: Residents should heed evacuation orders

There are mandatory evacuations underway in several areas due to flooding.

These include:

Transylvania County – Low lying areas in the town of Rosman around the French Broad River and the Davidson River Community will see door-to-door visits, advising residents of the need to evacuate now.
Buncombe County – People between North Fork Road to Old U.S. 70, following the Swannanoa River all the way to Biltmore Village should evacuate.
McDowell County – River Breeze Campground on U.S. 221 Business North ordered to evacuate due to rising waters and flooding in the campground.
Mecklenburg County – Mandatory evacuation has been ordered for an area below the Catawba River below the Cowans Ford Dam.

More info and voluntary evacuation notices are posted on ReadyNC.gov/stay-informed/evacuation-orders.

Cell phones, wireless services down across state

Wireless services, including Verizon and Spectrum, are reporting outages across Western North Carolina.

“Hurricane Helene brought massive devastation throughout the area resulting in power outages and fiber damage from high winds, debris and flooding caused by the storm,” Verizon Spokesperson Winnie Wright told the Citizen Times.

“In the Carolinas, customers are experiencing service impacts from Greenville, South Carolina up through Western North Carolina. Site repairs will begin as soon as it is safe to do so, with Verizon crews working around the clock to restore service as quickly as possible.”

Inside Harrah Cherokee Center shelter: Survivor tales and a waiting game

At about 3 p.m., Harrah’s Cherokee Center shelter staff – comprised of Asheville city staff and volunteers – were working to hand out food along with blankets, socks, boxers, sports bras and deodorant to the roughly 200-plus people sheltered inside the events center. Cell service was spotty inside.

Near the entrance of the facility, father and daughter Phillip and Madison Donati were sitting with their cat, Bandit.The Donatis were staying the night at the Super 8 off of Tunnel Road headed toward Black Mountain when they woke up to a phone alert around 6 a.m., informing them that they would have to evacuate, Phillip Donati said.

Recalling the evacuation on Asheville Rapid Transit buses, Phillip Donati said they watched as “big trees” floated in the Swannanoa River on the drive to the shelter, where they’d been since around 8 a.m. He called the experience “kind-of aggravating.”

“Not ideal, but under the circumstances you can’t complain,” Phillip Donati said of the shelter. They said they hoped to get back toward Black Mountain soon.

Super 8 employee Anthony Stephens said that the evacuation was “scary,” because some staying on the lower level of the motel woke up with “two feet of water in their room.”

Leo Bell, who was evacuated from the Super 8, described half of the motel as “inundated.”

Some trucks manned by the National Guard also came to evacuate people, Stephens said, noting that, “It was scary when we saw the trucks outside and all of the people in the water.”

Helene gone, but threats persist

The National Weather Service said Helene passed most of the Western North Carolina area at 11:21 a.m., but significant impacts including serious flooding continue. The storm passed into Kentucky a little before 4 p.m. and was headed north northwest at about 28 miles per hour.

Wind gusts had peaked for the event over most of North Carolina, but the NWS warns that tropical storm force gusts will remain possible through through late-afternoon over the northern North Carolina mountains and on all ridgetops.

Landslides could still occur across the mountains, particularly until the last of the rain tapers off this afternoon or evening.

FEMA Urban Rescue Team and National Guard in Asheville

The National Guard and a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue team are now on the ground in Asheville, revealing how serious, potentially life-threatening Helene has been and will be as rivers continue to rise.

City of Asheville emergency responders and staff from each department continue life-saving efforts in response to the tropical storm, according to a 2:30 p.m. news release.

Crews are responding to calls for assistance, including swift water rescues, evacuations, transportation to shelters and downed trees on powerlines, houses and roads. Asheville Fire Department has upscaled their operations with up to 200 firefighters filling emergency response roles.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the North Carolina National Guard are in town to assist rescue efforts. A FEMA Urban Search and Rescue team is in Asheville with 82 personnel and 19 vehicles, including buses, tractor trailers, box trucks, tow vehicles and rescue boats. The National Guard team is assisting by providing a team of eight personnel and high profile vehicles that can navigate through flooded waters.

“Even though it may appear that the storm has passed, we want the community to understand that the devastating after effects of Helene, including rising rivers, downed powerlines and power outages, flooded roads, and damaged homes, will affect our community for days to come. The City of Asheville is dedicated to using all resources possible to continue to serve our community, businesses and visitors,” a statement read.

For non-emergency situations, call 828-250-6650. For life threatening situations, always call 911.

Information Sources:Find rolling storm related information on the homepage of the City of Asheville website.

‘Most significant natural disaster that any of us has ever seen’

Hundreds of thousands of people remain without power, hundreds of trees are down and it could be 24 hours before crews are able to get those trees removed, Buncombe County Emergency Services Assistant Director Ryan Cole said in a Friday briefing as Tropical Storm Helene lashed North Carolina.

“Right now we are experiencing the most significant natural disaster that any of us has ever seen in Western North Carolina …. And with this historic flooding, it is going to reach above any record levels that we’ve ever had,” Cole said.

He said they’ve had more than 50 swift water rescues throughout the county and are seeing support from across North Carolina and from other states, like Illinois and New Jersey.

Water service advisory in Asheville

The city of Asheville has issued a water service advisory and announced that residents may experience periods of low water pressure and outages due to issues related to Tropical Storm Helene.

Residents are encouraged to boil water if they intend to use it for drinking, food preparation or brushing teeth. Boiling water for one minute should kill any disease-causing organisms present in the water.

Customers without power are encouraged to use bottled water for these purposes.

The city is also urging residents to conserve water during this time.

The city of Hendersonville is asking residents to voluntarily reduce non-essential water use. The water treatment plant is “currently operating, but intake capacity has been reduced, due to the Mills River intake being disabled by the storm,” the city announced in a Friday news release. The city is working to restore the intake once crews can safely access the infrastructure.

Hendersonville is providing these tips to conserve water: Limit flushing of toilets by multiple usage; take shorter showers instead of baths; turn off taps when brushing teeth, shaving or washing dishes; fix any leaks immediately; limit cooking water; delay any washing of laundry and only run full loads of laundry; the use of flow-restrictive and water-saving devices is encouraged; and temporarily opt for biodegradable or disposable dishes/utensils.

Asheville hotels offer shelter to displaced residents

Looking for a place to stay but can’t make it to the emergency shelter at Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville, 87 Haywood St., in downtown Asheville? Explore Asheville has a list of businesses that are welcoming residents displaced by Hurricane Helene. Interested guests are asked to call directly and inquire about local booking and rates with the manager on duty. They may be asked for proof of residency at check-in. A full list is here:

Video: Asheville River Arts District floods as Tropical Storm Helene passes through

Fletcher hard hit, situation expected to worsen

The town of Fletcher is expected to be one of the most impacted in the region, and Fletcher Mayor Preston Blakely told the Citizen Times that he has not heard of any flooding-related deaths so far.

However, Blakely said flooding along Hendersonville Road to the Howard Gap Road intersection has prevented travel through the area, and there is already widespread flooding throughout the town.

Because the French Broad River is expected to crest at more than 30 feet in Fletcher, town residents were encouraged to self-evacuate on Thursday. When the river crests, estimated at about 8 p.m. on Friday, the flooding is expected to break all prior records in the town of about 8,100 people.

Blakely encouraged residents to stay informed.

“There are certainly damages, certainly flooding at the park, certainly trees down and closed roads,” Blakely said.

The closest emergency shelter to Fletcher is at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center, 1301 Fanning Bridge Road.

‘Active natural disaster’ to last for days, officials warn

Rivers have not crested in Buncombe County, meaning the water is still rising along the Swannanoa River and French Broad River and poses an active threat to residents in those areas, county officials announced in a Friday news release.

Here’s when the rivers are expected to crest:

Water will crest in Biltmore Village at about 2 p.m. at 27 feet
Swannanoa River is expected to crest at 2 p.m. at 27 feet
French Broad in Fletcher will crest at 8 p.m. at 30.5 feet
French Broad in Asheville will crest at 8 p.m. at 23 feet

Buncombe County officials say they do not expect waters to recede before Sept. 30, and warned residents that “even as rain dissipates, this continues to be an active natural disaster.”

They are urging people not to drive at this time.

Residents fill downtown emergency shelter

More than 100 people had evacuated to the City of Asheville’s emergency shelter downtown at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center before noon on Friday.

City workers had been called in to assist and members of Buncombe County’s Community Paramedic initiative set up a station in the lobby to provide medical treatment. Around 11:30 a.m., community paramedics transported one evacuee to Mission Hospital.

Michael Koon, 70, evacuated from ABCCM’s Veteran’s Restoration Quarters, which serves male veterans experiencing homelessness. An Asheville Rapid Transit bus picked up Koon and dozens of other veterans from the housing facility near the Swannanoa River in East Asheville, where Buncombe County officials ordered a mandatory evacuation in the early morning hours of Sept. 27.

More than 200 people were evacuated from the housing facility, according to Tim McElyea, ABCCM’s homeless services director. As of 12:30 p.m. on Friday, the site had not been impacted by flooding and it hadn’t sustained any water damage, he told the Citizen Times.

Avoid travel if possible, North Carolina Transportation officials say

Roads are closed across Western North Carolina due to flooding, fallen trees, rockslides and mudslides.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is asking motorists to avoid all travel in Western North Carolina, spokesperson Jen Goodwin said, noting that crews are responding but having difficulties with communication services and ongoing high winds. She suggested that those who have downed trees on NCDOT maintained roads call +1 (877) DOT-4YOU.

Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder said during an emergency news conference Friday that residents should consider “all roads closed.”

Haywood County government officials said the same thing.

All lanes of I-40 at miler marker 67, near Old Fort Mountain east of Ridgecrest, are closed due to a rockslide. No injuries were reported. All lanes of I-26 at mile marker 51 in Henderson County are also closed, according to a Buncombe County news release.

All lanes of I-26 are closed south of Asheville between exits 44 and Exit 53 due to flooding. The road is expected to reopen by 2 p.m., according to DriveNC.gov. Goodwin said that many estimates for roads reopening “are subject to change,” as crews face rising waters and intermittent cell service. She encouraged residents to listen to local authorities on evacuation protocols.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s road closures can be monitored live at

Emergency shelters open

Emergency shelters have been set up for residents who are unable to evacuate in some of North Carolina’s hardest hit areas. Shelters are located at the WNC Agriculture Center located at WNC Agricultural Center: 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher and the Harrah’s Cherokee Center, 87 Haywood St., Asheville.

There are also Code Purple sheltering available through ABCCM for unhoused residents, and transportation on ART is free to Code Purple shelters.

Residents should bring essential items such as medications, important documents and personal necessities, according to a news release.

Mandatory evacuation orders issued for areas of Buncombe County

In response to an escalating threat from Tropical Storm Helene, Buncombe County officials have issued an immediate and mandatory evacuation order for residents along the Swannanoa River beginning at the North Fork Reservoir, where waters have gone over the spillway. All residents in the following areas are required to evacuate: North Fork Road south to U.S. 70, U.S. 70 west to Old Farm School Road, Old Farm School to Azalea Road, Azalea Road to Swannanoa River Road and Swannanoa River Road to Biltmore Village.

Mandatory evacuation orders were also issued for 105 Balsam Road from the Camp Ridgecrest for Girls south to U.S. 70 in Black Mountain due to the flooding of a lake at the camp.

What to know about river flooding, advisories

NOAA and USGS river gauges show flooding in WNC river basins. The flood stage begins at 9.5 feet, considered minor flooding. Moderate flooding begins at 13 feet and major flooding begins at 18 feet.

French Broad at Asheville – 13.75 feet as of 7:45 a.m. Predicted to peak at 21 feet at 8 p.m.

French Broad at Fletcher – 20.35 feet as of 8:15 a.m. Predicted to peak at a record-breaking 30.5 feet at 8 p.m.

French Broad River near Marshall – 12.21 feet as of 8 a.m. Predicted to peak at 19 feet at 8 p.m.

Swannanoa River at Biltmore – 17.72 feet as of 8:30 a.m. Predicted to peak at 21 feet at 2 p.m.

French Broad River at Rosman (USGS) – 13.38 feet at 8:30 a.m.

Flood advisories are active for the French Broad River at the following locations: Marshall affecting Madison County, near Hot Springs affecting Madison County, at Blantyre affecting Transylvania and Henderson Counties, at Asheville affecting Buncombe County and near Fletcher affecting Henderson and Buncombe Counties. There is also a flood advisory for the Swannanoa River at Biltmore affecting Buncombe County.

Thousands without power across the state

At the height of the storm in N.C., more than 450,000 in the state were without power.

Buncombe County was particularly slammed, with more than 100,000 Duke Energy customers without power as of 8:30 a.m., while there were more than 63,000 Henderson County customers without power. Meanwhile, Haywood EMC reported more than 15,000 members were without power.

This story was updated to add new information, to meet our standards, and to add a video.

Widespread power outages persist

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