Theresa Opeka
Carolina Journal
At Tuesday’s briefing on recovery efforts in western North Carolina from Hurricane Helene, Gov. Roy Cooper reported that 92 people remain unaccounted after the storm, with 95 confirmed fatalities. He cautioned reporters that those numbers will fluctuate as more reports come in.
Cooper also stressed that “misinformation” about recovery efforts “must stop,” saying rumors hurt those who need help the most.
“There’s still a persistent and dangerous flow of misinformation about recovery efforts in western North Carolina that can lead to threats and intimidation, breeds confusion, and demoralizes storm survivors and response workers alike,” he said. “If you’re participating and spreading this stuff, stop it. Whatever your aim is, the people you are really hurting are those in western North Carolina who need help.”
Over the weekend, a North Carolina man named William Parsons was arrested for allegedly threatening Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) workers who were canvassing to reach hurricane victims in the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock area. He allegedly had an assault rifle on him when he made the threats at a Rutherford County gas station over the weekend and initial reports indicated that he was part of an “armed militia,” however the Rutherford County Sheriff’s office says that Parsons acted alone and is facing charges of “going armed to the terror of the public.”
The incident led FEMA officials to temporarily suspend door-to-door canvassing.
“The ongoing spread of misinformation about operations is not okay,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “It has to stop. The federal family has been here working side by side with the state since day one. These are people who put their lives on hold to help those who have lost everything.”
Criswell said the threats are being taken seriously, and the safety of the responders remains a priority. Out of an abundance of caution, FEMA made operational changes to keep personnel safe over the weekend, but none of the changes impacted ongoing search and rescue or other life safety operations. She said they resumed canvassing operations yesterday.
Cooper pushed back on claims, like those made by Republican gubernatorial candidate and Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who said on social media that Cooper hasn’t done enough to help in the recovery efforts.
“This is happening in the middle of an election where candidates are using people’s misery to sow chaos for their own political objectives, and it’s wrong,” he said. “This is a time where we all need to pull together to help the people of western North Carolina, and it’s disappointing when candidates knowing full well what they’re doing are continuing this kind of disinformation filled with lies.”
Getting back to the matter at hand, Cooper said that power outages are now under 13,000, down from one million at the beginning. Closed roads are at 580, down from about 1200.
Many water systems and wells are now operational, but challenges do remain. FEMA has approved 77,000 out of over 170,000 people who have applied for individual assistance, with over $99 million already paid out. He also said that he believes this was the fastest and largest integration of active military soldiers working with the National Guard in North Carolina history.
numbers on fatalities and missing will fluctuate
A task force formed by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety indicates 92 people are still missing, while North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Director Kody Kinsley said at the press conference that the storm’s impacts have caused 95 confirmed fatalities, the majority of which happened during the initial impact of Helene and the flooding and mudslides the storm brought.
WLOSNews 13 in Asheville, reported that after contacting, FEMA, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Buncombe County, and other agencies, they found that no one place has an official count.
Will Ray, Executive Director of North Carolina Emergency Management, said that more than 1500 responders from 38 states are assisting in the recovery efforts. Two thousand FEMA personnel are also assisting.
Disaster recovery centers are operating in impacted counties, and more are coming online before the end of the week. About 4,600 individuals are housed in hotels through FEMA’s transitional housing assistance program.
With cold weather starting to move in, Ray said the type of supplies needed has shifted to include blankets, coats, fuel, heaters, and other items.
By the numbers
Fourteen county emergency operations centers remain activated, with 26 county states of emergency in place and 54 municipal states of emergency. Thirteen shelters are open, housing more than 500 residents and over 80 pets. Approximately 11,000 hot meals are also being served every day.
He added that 150 wastewater treatment plants are now operating under normal processes, 43 facilities are partially operating, and some are continuing to operate on backup power.
Finally, 90% of cell phone coverage has been restored.
Department of Public Safety Secretary Eddie Buffalo reported that over 177 personnel from the State Highway Patrol are assisting with evacuations and maintaining traffic control. In addition, 37 agents from the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement are on the ground, and State Capitol Police are providing 24-hour security at critical facilities.
Also, in partnership with the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association, approximately 165 sheriff deputies, 20 detention officers, and 20 telecommunication officers have been deployed. The North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police has deployed 206 officers primarily focused on community policing duties.
He said the state has also received support through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, known as EMAC, with 47 officers from Mississippi currently assisting in Asheville. They have requested an additional 80 officers to take over site security operations.
Swift Water Rescue personnel have conducted over 200 rescue missions, and other efforts, like the department’s drone teams, have helped conduct aerial damage assessments to help guide recovery efforts. Four of their aircraft have been essential to transporting supplies and conducting further damage assessments.
Major General Todd Hunt, Adjutant General of the North Carolina National Guard, said 3,300 personnel are working, delivering 5,000 tons of commodities. They have removed almost 1,400 obstacles to make roadways safe, including in Haywood County, where they cleared 29 bus routes so children can return to school today.
infrastructure repair to top billion mark
North Carolina Transportation (NCDOT) Secretary Joey Hopkins said over 670 roads are now open, but 580 remain closed. They have identified over 7,000 damaged sites, including over 650 bridges and almost 700 culvert sites. At least 100 bridges will need to be replaced.
Damage estimates for infrastructure repair are expected to total several billion dollars.
He said they have awarded Wright Brothers Construction an $8 million contract to stabilize the westbound lanes of I-40 in the Pigeon River Gorge area, with incentives to complete it by January. They also plan to design and construct permanent repairs on I-40.
The US 19 East bridge over the Cane River in Burnsville recently reopened to four-lane traffic, providing improved access from I-26 into Yancey and Mitchell counties. Hopkins said travel conditions continue to improve across much of southwestern North Carolina, including US 74-A in Gerton, and US 64 in Edneyville, leading to Bat Cave.
As roads re-open and larger vehicles begin delivering goods, Hopkins advised heavy trucks to follow the detours specifically designated for trucks over 30 feet. He said there have been several instances of trucks trying to take routes that are not built to handle large vehicles, leading them to get stuck.
“With this storm, my goal is to turn on every spigot; all the local, state, federal, private, and non-profit resources that we can, in order to be able to make sure that people in western North Carolina recover,” said Cooper.
Comments