Special to IFN
RALEIGH — Gov. Roy Cooper held a briefing with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell on Wednesday to provide updates on North Carolina’s unprecedented response to Hurricane Helene. They were joined by Adjutant General of the N.C. National Guard Maj. Gen. Todd Hunt, N.C. Director of Emergency Management Will Ray, NCDOT Secretary Joey Hopkins, NCDHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley and NCDEQ Secretary Mary Penny Kelley to share information about the ongoing response and recovery operations in Western North Carolina.
“Hurricane Helene was a powerful reminder of nature’s might, but it also revealed the unbreakable spirit of our people,” Cooper said. “In the face of adversity, we have seen neighbors helping neighbors, volunteers stepping up, and first responders risking their lives to ensure our safety. This has been a massive, unprecedented state, local and federal response, and I am grateful to all of those working tirelessly. Your bravery and selflessness embody the very essence of our community.”
Goods and services continue to flow into impacted communities through state, federal and local partners. The N.C. National Guard and the Joint Task Force-North Carolina have assisted thousands of people who needed rescue, evacuation and other assistance.
N.C. National Guard and Military Response
More than 3,000 Soldiers and Airmen are now working in Western North Carolina. Joint Task Force- North Carolina, the task force led by the N.C. 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 the citizens in western North Carolina.
National Guard and military personnel are operating more than 40 helicopters and more than 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.
FEMA Assistance
More than $60 million in FEMA Individual Assistance funds have been paid so far to Western N.C. disaster survivors and more than 134,000 people have registered for Individual Assistance.
Approximately 2,600 people are now housed in hotels through FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance. Federal partners have delivered approximately 9.78 million liters of water and approximately 7.7 million meals in North Carolina to support both responders and people living in the affected communities.
More than 900 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 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. 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 1,300 responders from 35 state and local agencies have performed 118 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.
Food, Water and Commodity Points of Distribution
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. More than 20,000 hot meals a day are being prepared and served by mobile kitchens. Food, water and commodity points of distribution are open throughout western North Carolina.
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. NC 211 also has a registry page for missing persons and welfare check requests.
Shelters
A total of 17 shelters are open in Western North Carolina serving 715 people and 102 pets.
Power Outages
Across Western North Carolina, more than 86,000 customers remain without power as of Tuesday, 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
Travel remains dangerous, with hundreds of roads closed. Many of these roads are primary routes connecting the region. As connectivity and reporting measures improve, these number may increase.
NCDOT is asking people to avoid unnecessary travel to or in Western North Carolina. NCDOT has posted at ncdot.gov an interstate detour map for travelers to avoid western N.C. NCDOT currently has more than 2,100 employees and 1,100 pieces of equipment working on approximately 4,700 damaged road sites.
Fatalities
Eighty-nine 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. To report that you have been unable to reach a person in Western North Carolina, please call 211.
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. Donations will help to support local nonprofits working on the ground.
For information on volunteer opportunities, 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.