Hurricane Helene’s toll on western North Carolina is historic and catastrophic, creating horrific problems for residents and shutting down a region as it enters a prime tourism season.
“People are desperate for help, and we are pushing to get it to them, a massive effort,” Gov. Roy Cooper said at a Sunday afternoon press conference. “This is an unprecedented tragedy that requires an unprecedented response.”
Communication outages affecting cell and landline service hampered efforts to assess and respond to the damage. Officials told of massive damage across the entire western third of the state, including the most densely populated areas of Asheville and Boone.
Cooper said 11 people are confirmed dead, and he indicated the number’s likely to increase as rescue efforts continue. Authorities in Buncombe County said 30 people there have died as of Sunday afternoon. In adjacent Henderson County, officials are reporting five deaths, BlueRidgeNow reported.
The N.C. Sheriffs’ said two sheriff’s deputies, from Macon and Madison counties, had been “tragically killed in raging flood waters.”
Officials are also spooling up a major supply effort, to bring food, fresh water and medical supplies to the region. The state’s effort included 45 teams in the field, with more than 730 responders to help out local efforts, state Emergency Management Director Will Ray said.
“We are preparing our operation to continue to move commodities into those impacted areas, particularly food and water, for an extended duration of time,” Ray said. “There are still people that are in desperate need of water and food.”
The storm closed about 280 roads, most prominently Interstate 40. A mudslide blocked the interstate near Old Fort Mountain, east of Asheville. By early Sunday afternoon crews had opened “a path through the slide” to allow first responders and stranded motorists passage with the Highway Patrol’s help, Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins said.
But the storm cut I-40 at mile marker 3 near the Tennessee line, blocking passage between the states completely. Water took out one whole set of lanes and undermined the other. While it’s a top priority, Hopkins said, “It will take a long time to fix that. We’re probably talking months at best.”
Fortunately, the N.C. DOT had reopened Interstate 26 to the south of Asheville, providing “our first major route into and out of the city,” Hopkins said. That will facilitate truck traffic capable of supplying food, water and other essentials.That’s essential because floods knocked out water systems and left both public supplies and wells unsafe to drink.
Fifty-two water systems were without power and another 93 had issued boil-water advisories, EMS Director Ray said. Some face “significant rebuild impacts” to get back on online, he said.
Asheville’s water system had suffered severe damage that will require “extensive repairs” to treatment facilities and distribution pipes, officials said. Restoring service to the full system “could potentially take weeks,” they said.
In the meantime, the supply effort is key.
DOT’s priorities are to get the interstates, U.S. and N.C. routes up and running, ahead of secondary roads, Hopkins added.
North Carolina’s National Guard said more than 500 members were on the case, and on Saturday its aircraft flew a combined 52 hours. Guard personnel brought more than 119 people (and 11 of their pets) to safety, with the largest single rescue being of 41 people in Buncombe County north of Asheville, said Maj. Gen. Todd Hunt, the N.C. Guard’s commanding officer.
