Death toll grows, relief in North Carolina

(This article will be updated. Read our earlier coverage here.)

This article was updated because an earlier version and headline included an inaccuracy.

Relief efforts continue in Asheville and the Western North Carolina area where a major disaster due to Tropical Storm Helene has left communities devastated, roads impassable and thousands without power. There were only estimates Sunday evening about the extent of the destruction, with the full scope of Helene devastation not expected to be known for some time.

Check back for live updates as they roll in throughout the day Tuesday.

In Avery County, Newland, 5 deaths so far, searches continue: officials

Avery County, a ski resort area in western North Carolina near the Tennessee border, has so far reported five deaths from Helene floodwaters, but many are still unaccounted for.

The information comes after a viral social media post claiming that 200 people had died in the county seat of Newland, but Avery County Manager Philip Barrier on Tuesday said that number is false.

“The missing person list is growing but we don’t panic because the cell phone situation has been rough,” he said.

The county of about 18,000 people is known for its ski season and Christmas trees. Barrier said most of the holiday trees have been lost and he’s concerned about the ski slopes, which he hopes to check on Wednesday. He said he’s been touched by the community support as well as people coming as far as South Carolina to bring hot food, toys and other goods.

— Kelly Puente, USA Today Network

Buncombe County, Asheville have no timeline on drinking water

There is still no timeline for the return of water, with Asheville Assistant City Manager Ben Woody saying it will “take us weeks” before the water is back during an afternoon briefing Tuesday.

City and county officials also gave updates on the ongoing rescue effort and shared pharmacy and medical information for affected residents.

As the county continues to see a high volume of 911 calls, four additional centers – New Hanover County, Fayetteville Police Department, Stanly County and Raleigh Lake – are on overflow rotation to assist Buncombe County.

The North Carolina Board of Pharmacies is maintaining a list of open pharmacies in Western North Carolina, updated every 30 minutes, to help people who need to refill their prescriptions. The list can be found at ncbop.org.

But water conservation remains a priority, officials stressed.

Only potable water should be used for any forms of consumption, including drinking, showering, cooking, washing hands and washing dishes. Any municipal water supply under a boil water advisory must be boiled for one minute before consumption in any form, Buncombe County Medical Director Jennifer Mullendore said.

Potable water includes bottled water or water provided from tanker trucks by the county. Non-potable water should only be used for things like flushing toilets. Rainwater is also not safe for drinking and should be treated as a non-potable water source.

Well water remains an acceptable source, the county said.

— Evan Gerike, Citizen-Times

Henderson County launches map tool to aid in missing persons search

Henderson County has created a Wellness Check Status Map to help find individuals who have not been heard from, according to a county spokesperson.

The map shows locations for the individuals and a blue or green dot if they’ve been contacted, or a red dot if they have not. The map is available through the Henderson County website or can be accessed here.

A full list of individuals, including those for which their address is unknown, is also available on the site.

Individuals can also call 828-771-6670 to notify the county of anyone’s status.

The Henderson County curfew, from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., remains in effect.

— Evan Gerike, Citizen-Times

Gerton reports no fatalities amid Helene’s devastation

The fire chief of Gerton, a small community of about 800 people just southeast of Asheville, on Tuesday said they have finished searching the area and all residents have been accounted for.

“We’re glad to say we’ve had no loss of life here,” said Gerton Fire Chief Jay Alley.

Gerton is one of many small mountain towns throughout Western North Carolina devastated by Helene’s flooding and cut off from power, water and cell service.

Chimney Rock, which sits just east of Gerton, was completely flattened with businesses and homes washed away.

Alley said his volunteer fire crew of about two dozen along with other rescue workers managed to punch a hole through piles of debris covering a road in the area of Bat Cave just west of Chimney Rock to help reach what is left of the town.

Alley said he believes there have been lives lost in that area but did not know how many.

Gerton lost many homes and buildings, but donations have been tremendous, and a Chinook helicopter has dropped water and meals, Alley said. He added that the area is still without power and water, but residents are pushing forward.

“I’m very proud of all the hard work our people have been doing here,” he said.

The storm has, so far, killed more than 60 people in Western North Carolina, with the death toll expected to climb.

— Kelly Puente, USA Today Network

Asheville Humane evacuates about 100 animals post-Helene

The Asheville Humane Society has evacuated about 100 animals to shelters outside of Western North Carolina in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene.

AHS facilities weren’t damaged severely during the storm, but a lack of potable water caused by outages affecting all of Asheville and many surrounding areas has made it impossible to provide adequate care for a large amount of the animals at the Buncombe County Animal Shelter, officials noted.

The BISSELL Pet Foundation has stepped in to help. On Tuesday, more than 1,000 pounds of food and supplies for AHS animals and staff was unloaded from a BISSELL plane. Then, staff reloaded the plane with carriers full of 57 cats, 40 dogs and all of AHS’s “pocket animals.”

AHS Content Coordinator Colleen Daly told the Citizen Times the animals were taken to Forsyth Humane Society to be distributed to safe shelters away from the destruction left by Helene.

For anyone who wants to help AHS, Daly said the two primary needs for now are gas and monetary donations at their Venmo @ashevillehumane or at tinyurl.com/AshevilleHumaneDonate.

— Iris Seaton, Citizen-Times

Biltmore Church providing supplies at Arden campus

Biltmore Church is supplying community members with water, ice and meals at its Arden campus, 35 Clayton Road.

“The total recovery will be many, many months but the urgent needs right now would be trying to help people survive this early thing,” said Bruce Frank, Biltmore’s lead pastor, in an interview.

A multi-campus Southern Baptist congregation in the Asheville area, Biltmore is providing several of its campuses to various aid organizations. Frank said Biltmore’s Hendersonville campus is being used by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, its West Asheville campus is hosting electricity repairmen and its East Nashville campus is being used by the National Guard and a nonprofit called All Hearts and Hands.

The Arden campus, in addition to supplying community members, is also a staging ground for groups of Southern Baptist disaster recovery teams that will go out to the community with chainsaws to help clear paths and help with access to homes.

Many of the supplies Biltmore is providing out of its Arden campus were sent from fellow Southern Baptist churches across the state. The Arden campus supply center is open to community members until 6 p.m. on Tuesday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

— Liam Adams, The Tennessean

Ukrainian refugees among those missing in North Carolina

The last time Lysa Gindinova spoke to her aunt was Thursday night as Helene’s ferocious rains and winds began to batter North Carolina.

“She made a joke that she hopes their Titanic – referring to their house – is going to hold,” Gindinova told USA TODAY on Tuesday, recalling the conversation.

Since the brief phone call, Gindinova has not been to contact her aunt, cousin, uncle or grandmother – all of whom fled the Ukrainian port city of Kherson over a year ago amid Russia’s invasion. The family were sponsored and moved to the mountain suburb of Micaville to be near their relatives who have lived in western North Carolina for decades.

For five days, Gindinova, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, has been glued to her phone and computer, refreshing local Facebook groups for names of discovered residents. She’s also contacted rescue teams in the area, hoping for good news.

“It’s been twenty-four-seven,” Gindinova said. “I’ve been out of work for three days now because I’m just on my phone all the time. I cannot function normally. That is all I think about.”

— Chris Cann, USA TODAY

Biden says time to ‘jump-start’ costly Hurricane Helene recovery

President Joe Biden addressed hurricane recovery efforts from the White House Roosevelt Room, where he received an interagency briefing on the government’s response.

“My top priority is to ensure the communities devastated by this hurricane get the help and support they need as quickly as possible,” Biden said, calling the storm “a hurricane of unprecedented, historic proportions.”

Biden, who plans to survey damage in South Carolina and North Carolina on Wednesday, pointed to his conversations with southeastern governors and other leaders in the affected areas.

“We have to jump-start this recovery process,” Biden said. “People are scared to death. People are wondering whether they’re going to be able to make it. We still haven’t heard from a whole lot of people. This is urgent. People have to know how to get the information they need.”

He added: “I think it’s going to cost billions of dollars to restore these areas to where they were before. Until the work is done, we’re going to stay.”

Biden said Monday that he expects to ask Congress to approve a supplemental bill to help cover federal costs for Hurricane Helene relief efforts.

— Joey Garrison, USA TODAY

Death toll in Buncombe County jumps to 57, sheriff says

The death toll from Tropical Storm Helene has risen to 57 in Buncombe County, according to the latest update from Sheriff Quentin Miller, given during the 4 p.m. Tuesday briefing.

Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder announced Tuesday morning that there were no updates to the death toll for the first time since the first 10 deaths were confirmed on Sept. 29, but the situation had changed by the afternoon briefing.

When added to the six deaths in Henderson County and one from Macon County, the death toll from Tropical Storm Helene stands at least 64 people in Western North Carolina.

— Evan Gerike, Citizen-Times

White House outlines federal response to ‘catastrophic’ Helene

North Carolina’s Emergency Management Agency director described Hurricane Helene’s impact on the state as “catastrophic,” United States Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said during a Tuesday briefing at the White House outlining the federal response to the disaster.

“Numerous towns situated along the river had virtually disappeared, had been completely destroyed,” Mayorkas said. “Hurricane Helene is of a historic magnitude.”

More than 100 fatalities have been reported and several hundred homes and businesses have been destroyed, he said, noting that the hurricane’s wind field stretched some 350 miles from its center.

“Our hearts break for those who have lost loved ones, and we pray for the swift assistance and rescue of those who are currently missing,” Mayorkas said. The region is in different phases of a post-Hurricane Helene environment, depending on state and location, he said.

More than 2,000 federal personnel, 1,200 urban search and rescue and 1,200 FEMA staff have been deployed in what Mayorkas called a “massive response” to the disaster.

In some areas, rescue personnel are in a search and recovery phase, and in others, they are focused on response and recovery, he said.

FEMA has shipped 7.1 million ready-to-eat meals, 7.5 million liters of water, 150 generators and 95,000 tarps, he said, and the Coast Guard has rescued 21 people through patrol efforts.

One of the greatest areas of concern has been communication, as much of the infrastructure in many of the impacted states has been demolished, Mayorkas said.

“We are working with the private communication companies as well as the FCC to ensure that we can rebuild communication towers,” he said. “We have deployed 50 Star Link satellite systems to help with the reconstruction of that infrastructure.”

Air assets have been deployed to areas where driving is challenging, Mayorkas said.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said 22 helicopters had been deployed as of Tuesday’s briefing.

The expense associated with the federal response is expected to reach billions, officials said.

The government has already approved $1.7 million in individual assistance that people can access as early as Wednesday via direct deposit, Mayorkas said. Rebuilding after Helene, he said, will be costly and is expected to take “years.”

Local and state authorities in North Carolina, as well as other affected states, will carry out the November election, Mayorkas said.

— Craig Shoup, The Tennessean

More than 12,000 requests for help come in to Family Assistance Center

The Register of Deeds office has received more than 12,000 requests for help since it started the Family Assistance Center.

The office has generated a list of names submitted by people looking for missing family, friends and neighbors and is mobilizing volunteers to make welfare checks — meaning door-to-door visits in some of the county’s hardest hit areas.

Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger said about two-thirds of those on the list are from Buncombe County, where the death toll jumped from 40 to 57 in less than 24 hours Tuesday.

— Sarah Honosky, Citizen-Times

Red Cross setting up 150-bed South Asheville shelter

American Red Cross crew members were at the former Gold’s Gym, 1815 Hendersonville Road in South Asheville, on Tuesday setting up an emergency shelter that can accommodate more than 100 evacuees.

The former fitness center is owned by Novant Health, a nonprofit health system based in Winston Salem.

According to Maekala Mims, a Red Cross community disaster program manager, the shelter will be staffed by a rotating group of 10 crew members, 24 hours a day, and will have about 150 cots with blankets.

Power had already been restored Tuesday at the site, which didn’t sustain any major damage. The Red Cross plans to deliver a shower trailer and bathroom and will have medical staff on hand, according to Mims.

Mandy McMahon, a spokesperson with the Red Cross, told the Citizen Times the organization did not have an estimated time for opening.

— Jacob Biba, Citizen-Times

Where to get help, how to give as recovery continues

Local businesses are rallying to distribute hot meals, groceries, water and other supplies to those impacted by Tropical Storm Helene.

Here are some of the distribution hubs, as of Tuesday.:

World Central Kitchen: The global disaster relief organization will continue distributing hot meals at noon daily at Bear’s Smokehouse, 135 Coxe Ave., in the downtown South Slope district. The limit is one meal per person. Additional distribution sites are in consideration for areas including Asheville, Black Mountain and Swannanoa.

Manna FoodBank: The organization is accepting drop-off donations only from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Tuesday at the WNC Farmers Market, 570 Brevard Road in Asheville. The station is in the parking lot to the left of the main entrance, past Jesse Israel Nursery.On Oct. 2, distributions will begin from noon-4 p.m.On Oct. 2-5, donation hours are 8 a.m.-noon and distribution hours are 1-4 p.m.Donations needed include: Shelf-stable food (pop-top cans preferred, not requiring a can opener), bottled water, baby and toddler formula and food and diapersManna’s headquarters and warehouse, 627 Swannanoa River Road, is closed indefinitely due to flood damage.

“We are so grateful to everyone who has reached out wanting to help after our communities have been so severely affected by the storm,” said Claire Neal, CEO of Manna FoodBank in a news release on Oct. 1. “Now we are thrilled to have a distribution site, thanks to the incredible staff at NC Department of Agriculture who are providing the WNC Farmers Market, to help us get much-needed resources out to our neighbors in need.”

Hearts with Hands: The outreach ministry will continue relief efforts by distributing food boxes and water from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at its warehouse, 850 Warren Wilson Road in Swannanoa. The organization intends to add hot meal food distribution later. Visit heartswithhands.org for a list of accepted donations.

Other need-to-know info/What’s open:Firestorm is accepting food and supplies drop-off and distributing food and other necessities at 1022 Haywood Road in West Asheville.

Flour is offering free baked goods, hot meals and hot coffee at S&W Market, at 56 Patton Ave., downtown. The bakery began distributing supplies, including bottled water, diapers and other supplies on Tuesday.

Cassia is offering free hot meals at 2 p.m., until supplies last on Tuesday. The Thai cuisine-inspired food truck is at Cellarest Beer Project, 395 Haywood Road in West Asheville.

Auction House Food Hall has free breakfast sandwiches at 9 a.m. at 29 Fanning Bridge Road in Fletcher. Limit one per person.

Grocery stores/markets openWest Village Market is open with limited hours selling groceries, such as produce, meat and vegan and nondairy items at 771 Haywood Road. Cash, card and EBT are accepted.

Other grocery stores that are open include Asiana Market (1968 Hendersonville Road) and select locations of Ingles, Whole Foods and Harris-Teeter.

— Citizen-Times staff

Vice President Kamala Harris planning North Carolina trip

A White House official confirmed that Vice President Kamala Harris in the coming days will also travel to North Carolina, where the western part of the state, including Asheville, was battered by Helene.

— Joey Garrison, USA TODAY

Thousands remain without power in Western North Carolina

Duke Energy outage maps show numbers of North Carolina customers impacted by power outages by county.

The map was updated on Sept. 30 to say that a majority of customers in all counties listed below will have power restored by 11:45 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4.

Here’s what else has changed in Western North Carolina:

Avery – 60% (805) of customers without power; no change from Sept. 30
Buncombe – 53% (78,593) of customers without power; outage numbers down 11%
Burke – 60% (13,606) of customers without power; down 10%
Caldwell – 42% (10,212) of customers without power; down 13%
Catawba – 11% (8,610) of customers without power; down 7%
Cleveland – 51% (16,902) of customers without power; down 11%
Haywood – 22% (5,651) of customers without power; down 14%
Henderson – 80% (55,121) of customers without power; down 3%
Jackson – 12% (3,219) of customers without power; down 2%
Macon – 5% (1,434) of customers without power; down 4%
Madison – 62% (407) of customers without power; no change
McDowell – 67% (13,232) of customers without power; down 20%
Mitchell – 84% (4,700) of customers without power; no change
Polk – 100% (8,643) of customers without power; no change
Rutherford – 83% (23,705) of customers without power; down 8%
Transylvania – 64% (10,799) of customers without power; down 7%
Wilkes – 5% (1,568) of customers without power; down 10%, estimated time of recovery 10 p.m. Oct. 1
Yancey – 73% (472) of customers without power; no change

— Iris Seaton, Citizen-Times

President Biden to take aerial tour of hurricane damages

More information was released Tuesday about President Joe Biden’s scheduled Wednesday visit to the Carolinas.

The President is expected to take an aerial tour of areas impacted by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, receive operational briefings, and meet with first responders and local officials, the White House said.

He will also engage with first responders and state and local officials in South Carolina en route to North Carolina, officials announced.

— Staff Reports

New donation site in Flat Rock accepting items

A new donation site is being assembled in Flat Rock, a Henderson County spokesperson announced Tuesday.

The site is located at 118 McAbee Court, Flat Rock, and will accept items like non-perishable food, bottled water, toiletries and baby powder formula. At this time, the site will not accept perishable food items or clothing, new or used.

For more information, including a full list of accepted items and information on donations, visit www.visithendersonvillenc.org/helene-relief.

— Evan Gerike, Citizen-Times

NWS: Calm down, another hurricane is NOT coming to North Carolina

Rumors of another hurricane or tropical storm affecting Western North Carolina has spread by word of mouth and on social media from a still anxious WNC community – but the National Weather Service is saying those rumors aren’t true and is advising the public to calm down as much as possible.

There is a storm developing in the western Caribbean, but the NWS said it isn’t expected to affect WNC. In fact, NWS Meteorologist Doug Outlaw told the Citizen Times that the system will “avoid the Carolinas completely.”

As of Tuesday, an NWS advisory said Tropical Storm Kirk was not expected to have any affect on land at all, despite predictions of its development into a hurricane.

For the rest of the day and week, forecasts in Asheville and the surrounding area show mostly sunny or partly cloudy days, with highs in the upper 70s.

— Iris Seaton, Citizen-Times

Downtown water distribution site serves hundreds

Water distribution at City Hall in downtown Asheville was moving quickly at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Less than an hour before, the line spilled down the block as people carrying plastic jugs, five-gallon buckets and empty bottles waited behind an orange barrier.

Silver tankers of potable water were parked in the lot. Hoses lined with spigots fed from the truck and volunteers with fluorescent vests sat by each nozzle, raising hands to usher people to their station.

About and hour and a half into distribution, about 200 households had been served, said one volunteer. There was no wait. People were able to walk up and get water almost immediately.

Erin Huskins said she heard about the distribution site during the county’s briefings, broadcast on the radio. She was walking away from the lot with a glass jar of water and a capped plastic bag, filled and sloshing.

It was much needed, she said. She lives in East Asheville and is without power and water.

If water doesn’t come back soon, she anticipates coming to sites like these often.

“It’s all I can do,” she said. At her feet, a small black dog, Lola, leapt happily, tongue lolling.

Shortly after the interview, Lola slipped her leash, leading reporter, Huskins and bystanders on a brief, but high intensity, chase down College Street.

Drinking water is being distributed at City Hall, 70 Court Plaza, beginning at 9 a.m. until dark, or when the supply runs out. Each person will be provided with two gallons of water with a maximum of five gallons per family. The city asks people to provide their own containers.

— Sarah Honosky, Citizen-Times

Interstate 40 East reopened, West to reopen at Old Fort Mountain

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper announced during a news conference Tuesday that Interstate 40 East is now open and motorists can expect Interstate 40 West at Old Fort Mountain, just east of Asheville, to open later today.

The interstate had been closed since Friday after areas of the road were washed out from flooding and mudslides caused by Tropical Storm Helene.

Despite the interstate’s opening, Cooper urged motorists to stay off the roads in western North Carolina since cleanup and repair work is continuing.

North Carolina Director of Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins said that although part of Interstate 40 is being reopened today, I-40 at mile marker 3 in Haywood County near the Tennessee border will remain closed indefinitely.

Hopkins noted that officials would be prioritizing interstates, U.S. and state routes ahead of secondary routes when it comes to repairs, but he also said crews would have to go out and assess all the damages.

“That’s a significant amount of damage and so even though it’s a top priority of ours, it will take a long time to fix that,” he said of I-40 at Tennessee. “We’re probably talking months at best. We’ve still got to evaluate that and do some assessments out there before we can determine what that solution is.”

— Lici Beveridge, USA Today Network

Death toll stands at 40 in Buncombe, officials say

As of Tuesday morning, the death toll in Buncombe County remains at 40. Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder said there was no updated death toll as of the 10 a.m. Oct. 1 briefing.

At least 47 people have died between Buncombe, Macon and Henderson Counties in the record floods.

— Evan Gerike, Citizen-Times

President Biden set to visit North Carolina

President Joe Biden said he will visit storm-ravaged North Carolina on Wednesday as communities in the western part of the state recover from devastating flooding caused by Hurricane Helene.

Biden announced the travel plans as he received an update on FEMA’s hurricane relief efforts at a Monday briefing from the Oval Office.

“I’m going to North Carolina on Wednesday. It’s planned now,” Biden said, adding he would be landing in Raleigh, North Carolina, for a meeting at the Emergency Operations Center before later conducting an aerial tour of damaged communities.

In Avery County, Newland, 5 deaths so far, searches continue: officials

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