‘We are working around the clock to reach you’: NC leaders pledge rescue and recovery after Helene’s devastation

Helene wreaked havoc in North Carolina, especially in western communities that were flooded or destroyed by landslides. Dozens of people are dead, and many more are missing. Here’s what’s being done about it.

In the last five days, the whole world’s seen North Carolina’s misery, as Helene’s winds and water swept away entire towns, roads, communities, and people.

On Tuesday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper promised rescue and recovery, especially for the western North Carolina communities ripped apart by the storm. 

“No matter who and where you are in western North Carolina,” Cooper said, “if you need help, we are working around the clock to reach you.” 

Related: Here’s how to help and get help after Hurricane Helene

The storm killed at least 139 people across six states, the Associated Press reports. Nearly half of those deaths are in North Carolina. At least 40 people have died in and around Asheville, western North Carolina’s largest city. Helene spun a tornado out in eastern NC too, causing damage and injuries. 

The disaster was exacerbated by heavy rains in western NC in the days before Helene’s arrival, as well as the rolling topography, valleys, and waterways that left so many areas hard to reach.

State officials said they’ve received an “unprecedented” number of calls to a 211 hotline set up to field calls from people who say they can’t find or make contact with lost loved ones in the region. 

“No matter who and where you are in western North Carolina,” Cooper said, “if you need help, we are working around the clock to reach you.” 

Cooper was joined Tuesday by state and federal leaders who say they’re focused on finding the lost, restoring roads and power, getting badly-needed supplies—especially potable water—to isolated communities, and meeting the needs of the region’s healthcare and assisted living facilities. 

“The challenges are immense, but our response effort has been and will continue to be massive,” Cooper said, adding that he was on the ground in western NC Monday and will return there Tuesday afternoon. 

Gov. Roy Cooper visited western NC to survey the damage Monday. (Photo via Cooper’s office)

“This is one of the most catastrophic events that our state has ever seen,” state Department of Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins said. 

Hopkins said his agency’s “top priority” in the coming days is reopening as many roads as possible to allow people to leave the area and to allow utility companies in for repairs. Transportation leaders said in the hours after the storm that all roads in western NC should be considered closed. Many are still impassable today.

President Biden is expected to visit the region Wednesday. Cooper said he’s spoken with Biden about mobilizing military assets from Fort Liberty and Camp Lejeune to help out. 

“As heartbreaking as this situation has been, it’s encouraging to see how many people are working together,” Cooper said. “That resilience and generous spirit will power much of this recovery.” 

Biden, at Cooper’s request, declared a disaster in North Carolina Saturday, allowing federal aid to flow in for people in 25 North Carolina counties, as well as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. 

The federal declaration also allows many North Carolinians in the hard-hit counties to request financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and 57,000 in the state have already done so, Cooper said. That federal money, some of which has already been received by locals, can be used for housing, repairs, and other emergency needs. 

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell joined Cooper Tuesday and said that her agency will be working in North Carolina “as long as needed.” 

Cooper said Tuesday that the state has also activated North Carolina’s disaster fund, which you can donate to here. Funds are sent directly to relief organizations on the ground. 

Here’s what else you need to know: 

• The healthcare needs in western NC’s isolated communities are profound. State Secretary of Health and Human Services Kody Kinsley said his agency is connecting with at least 91 nursing homes and assisted living facilities in western NC that need help. Many aren’t connected with power or water, and a few have had to move residents to other facilities.
• Kinsley also urged people to avoid drinking water from municipal water lines and drinking water wells that were likely contaminated by the flooding. Only use bottled water or water that’s been boiled or treated for your cooking and drinking, Kinsley said. 
• Attorney General Josh Stein said Tuesday that his office is investigating any possible violations of the state’s price gouging law, which bans businesses from taking advantage of people during emergencies by charging outrageous amounts for goods and services. “If they are, we will not hesitate to take action,” Stein said. “We simply will not allow price gougers to take advantage of you.”
• Cooper said I-40 has reopened for travel heading east out of Asheville. West-bound lanes were expected to reopen Tuesday. However, I-40 is closed near the Tennessee state line and will remain that way “for some time” because of the damage, said Hopkins.
• William Ray, director of NC’s emergency management office, said conditions on the ground “remain extremely dangerous,” and he urged people to keep the state’s ground and air routes clear to allow rescuers unimpeded access. He also asked people to avoid flying drones into the area because it could impact rescue workers. 
• Maj. Gen. Todd Hunt of the NC National Guard said that 200,000 pounds of food and commodities were delivered out of Asheville’s airport Monday, part of a massive air supply operation underway in the region. 
• For the latest updates on Helene response, the state has set up a landing page here. If you need immediate assistance or rescue, dial 911 if you can.