Special to IFN

RALEIGH — A vast array of relief resources continues to flow into Western North Carolina to assist in Hurricane Helene recovery.

More than 1,500 North Carolina National Guard personnel at work in Western NC are being supported by soldiers from the 18th Airborne Corps headquartered at Fort Liberty. Those soldiers are partnered with NCDOT to assist in clearing roads and with county emergency managers in distributing commodities. Soldiers are also assisting with search and rescue, and air traffic control – managing the large number of aircraft flying relief missions over western counties.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is assisting with assessing water and wastewater plants and dams

More than $27 million FEMA Individual Assistance funds have been paid so far to Western NC disaster survivors and more than 83,000 people have registered for Individual Assistance. Nearly 1,400 people are now housed in hotels through FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance.

More than 755 FEMA personnel are on the ground assisting in 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. 

More than 1,100 responders from 34 states are supporting 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.

“Resources from around the nation are at work helping Western North Carolina’s storm response and recovery,” said Gov. Roy Cooper. “We are grateful for assistance that’s supporting the thousands of our North Carolina responders.”

The governor issued an executive order that increases the capacity of the healthcare workforce to respond to Helene by making it easier for healthcare professionals licensed in other states, recent retirees, and others with necessary skills to assist with North Carolina’s response and recovery. In addition, the order authorizes the State Health Director to issue standing orders for emergency medications and authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to modify or waive fees for replacement of vital records.

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 is also maintaining 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, utilizing both ground resources and air drops from the NC National Guard. More than 97,000 hot meals have been prepared and served by mobile kitchens and another 25,000 wre expected to be served Saturday.

Food, water and commodity points of distribution have been opened 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.

Points of distribution for commodities have been established in each impacted county. Many of these locations are also providing free public Wi-Fi for area residents. Seek information from local governments for the most up-to-date location in your county.

Power Outages

Across Western North Carolina, approximately 173,000 customers remain without power at 11:30 a.m., down from a peak of more than one million. Power has been restored to more than 800,000 customers. 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.

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.

Shelters

A total of 22 shelters are open in Western North Carolina and housed more than 915 people and 102 pets last night. Plans are in place to open additional shelters as needed to accommodate additional needs. A shelter for those with special medical needs is caring for 13 people.

Search and Rescue Operations

Search and rescue operations are ongoing in Western North Carolina. A total of 53 search and rescue teams from North Carolina and beyond, consisting of more than 1,600 personnel have conducted search and rescue operations during this event. Search and rescue teams have interacted with over 5,400 people, including assists, evacuations and rescues.

Road Closures

Travel remains dangerous, with approximately 650 roads closed as of Saturday morning. As connectivity and reporting measures improve, this number may increase. NCDOT is asking people to refrain from unnecessary travel to or in Western North Carolina. Road access is limited to local and hurricane response traffic as crews work to restore critical routes and access to communities isolated by damage. First responders also want to keep the roads as clear as possible to help ensure they may carry out all response missions. NCDOT has posted at ncdot.gov an interstate detour map for travelers to avoid western N.C.

NCDOT is currently using the following resources to assist with the recovery process:

♦ 2,050-plus employees, plus 70 contract companies;
♦ 900 trucks, graders & backhoes/loaders; and
♦ 5,000 barricades & signs

Cellphone Provider Coverage

Cellphone providers are working to fix the damage and coverage issues caused by the storm and get stopgap solutions, such as temporary cell phone towers, in place and rapid progress is being made. Restoring communications is critical to saving lives, finding where people are and getting in supplies, and Governor Cooper been in constant contact with cellphone companies urging action and offering support. 

Fatalities

Sixty-eight storm-related deaths have been confirmed in North Carolina by 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.

North Carolina National Guard and Military Response

Gov. Cooper has activated more than 1,500 North Carolina National Guard soldiers and airmen to both conduct search and rescue operations and deliver critical supplies to Western North Carolina. As of Saturday, those troops had moved 3.5 million pounds of commodities. National Guard and military personnel from NC and other states are operating 50 helicopters, and more than 400 specialized vehicles in Western North Carolina to facilitate these missions.

President Biden approved Governor Cooper’s request for active-duty military personnel and equipment to support ongoing operations in Western North Carolina.

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.
If you are seeking information on volunteer opportunities, visit nc.gov/working/volunteer-opportunities/volunteernc.