Special to IFN
RALEIGH — State, federal and local response workers are working long hours to provide assistance into Western Carolina communities devastated by Hurricane Helene.
Law enforcement is working to ensure the safety of responders amid reports of threats and misinformation. FEMA officials remain in communities and will resume door-to-door operations to help people impacted by these storms recover as quickly as possible following reports of threats on the ground.
Gov. Roy Cooper has directed the N.C. Department of Public Safety to work with local law enforcement to identify specific threats and rumors and coordinate with FEMA and other partners to ensure the safety and security of all involved as this recovery effort continues.
“State, federal and local response workers, including FEMA, are working around the clock to bring assistance to western North Carolina,” Cooper said. “We know that significant misinformation online contributes to threats against response workers on the ground, and the safety of responders must be a priority.
“At my direction, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety is helping partners like FEMA to coordinate with law enforcement to ensure their safety and security as they continue their important work.”
N.C. National Guard and Military Response
Approximately 3,500 Soldiers and Airmen are 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 people in Western North Carolina.
National Guard and military personnel are operating 11 aviation assets 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 $96 million in FEMA Individual Assistance funds have been paid so far to Western North Carolina disaster survivors and more than 160,000 people have registered for Individual Assistance. Approximately 4,600 households are now housed in hotels through FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance.
More than 1,000 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 1,500 responders from 38 state and local agencies have performed 135 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 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. Food, water and commodity points of distribution are open 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.
Shelters
A total of 13 shelters are open in Western North Carolina supporting over 560 people.
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.
Power Outages
Across Western North Carolina, approximately 19,000 customers remain without power, 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. NCDOT has posted at ncdot.gov an interstate detour map for those traveling in the region. North Carolinians can visit DriveNC.Gov for the latest roadway conditions. NCDOT currently has approximately 2,100 employees and 1,100 pieces of equipment working on approximately 6,700 damaged road sites.
Fatalities
Ninety-five 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, call 911.
Volunteers and Donations
Due to dangerous road conditions and the need to maintain open routes for emergency operations, travel to Western North Carolina is difficult. 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.