NORTH CAROLINA (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — On Wednesday, Gov. Cooper and leaders with FEMA, the NC National Guard, Emergency Management, NCDOT, NCDHHS, and NCDEQ will share the latest updates on the impacts of Hurricane Helene across the state.
NC National Guard and Military Response
Over 3,000 Soldiers and Airmen are now working in Western North Carolina. National Guard and military personnel are operating more than 40 helicopters and 1,200 specialized vehicles.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is helping to assess water and wastewater plants and dams. Residents can track the status of the public water supply in their area through this website.
FEMA Assistance
More than $37 million in FEMA Individual Assistance funds have been paid so far to Western NC disaster survivors and more than 123,000 people have registered for Individual Assistance.
About 2,600 people are now housed in hotels through FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance. Federal partners have delivered about 9.78 million liters of water and 7.7 million meals.
More than 900 FEMA staff are in the state to help with the western North Carolina relief effort.
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.
Shelters
A total of 17 shelters are open in Western North Carolina serving 737 people and 106 pets.
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.
Fatalities
89 storm-related deaths have been confirmed in North Carolina by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. “We expect that this number will continue to rise over the coming days. The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will continue to confirm numbers twice daily.”
Power Outages
Across Western North Carolina, more than 107,000 customers remain without power as of Tuesday evening, 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 numbers 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 approximately 2,050 employees and 1,100 pieces of equipment working on approximately 4,700 damaged road sites.
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.
