NORTH CAROLINA, October 5 - Today, Governor Roy Cooper visited Haywood and Jackson counties to meet with people affected by the storm and thank emergency personnel and volunteers for their continued hard work. Relief and recovery operations continue in Western North Carolina as coordinated efforts bring supplies and resources into the region.

"Today I visited Canton, Waynesville and Cashiers along with the Emergency Operations Centers in Jackson and Haywood Counties, speaking with people impacted by this storm about our continuing support and current needs in their communities," said Governor Cooper. “The people of Western North Carolina have shown remarkable strength and courage in the face of this unprecedented storm, and we will continue our efforts to surge resources into affected areas."

In Haywood County, the Governor visited Canton where he was joined by Mayor Zeb Smathers to walk through damaged downtown businesses and Pisgah Memorial Stadium. The Governor also visited the Haywood County Emergency Operations Center to thank volunteers. In Jackson County, the Governor visited the Cashiers Fire Department and the Jackson County Emergency Operations Center where he thanked first responders and spoke with them about ongoing rescue and recovery missions.

North Carolina Emergency Management and officials are cautioning the public about false Helene reports and misinformation being shared on social media. Today, NCEM launched a fact versus rumor response webpage to provide factual information in the wake of this storm.

Today, Gov. Cooper requested and was granted the addition of Swain and Mecklenburg counties to North Carolina’s Major Disaster Declaration. Residents affected by Helene in these counties can apply for FEMA assistance by going to disasterassistance.gov

This week, President Biden approved 100% FEMA reimbursement for six months. To apply for Individual Assistance, visit disasterassistance.gov. President Biden also approved Governor Cooper’s request for active-duty military personnel and equipment to support ongoing operations in Western North Carolina. Aviation assets deployed earlier this week, and military personnel have deployed throughout the day today. That is in addition to the more than 1,200 North Carolina National Guard who are currently deployed, conducting search and rescue missions and distributing food, water and other supplies. In order to ensure that all resources are available for use in the response to Hurricane Helene, Governor Cooper issued Executive Order 316, which permits the use, sale, and distribution of dyed diesel fuel for highway use.

Photos of today’s visit can be found here.

Food, Water and Commodity Points of Distribution

Efforts are underway to provide food, water and basic necessities to residents in affected communities, utilizing both ground resources and air drops from the NC National Guard. FEMA has delivered approximately 6.1 million liters of water and 4.1 million meals. More than 70,000 people have registered for individual assistance through FEMA. Food, water and commodity points of distribution have been opened at the following locations:

• Buncombe County – Biltmore Baptist Church, 35 Clayton Road, Arden, NC 28704
• McDowell County – Grace Community Church, 5182 Highway 70 West, Marion, NC 28752
• Watauga County – First Baptist Church, 375 West King Street, Boone, NC 28607

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 the region, approximately 148,000 customers remain without power, down from a peak of more than one million. Power has been restored to more than 800,000 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, housing more than 1,162 people and 114 pets. Plans are in place to open additional shelters as needed to accommodate additional needs.

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 1600 personnel have conducted search and rescue operations during this event. The NC National Guard has interacted with over 5400 people, including assists, evacuations and rescues.

Road Closures

Travel remains dangerous, with approximately 600 roads closed as of Friday. 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:

• 1,350+ employees, plus 70 contract companies
• 1,200+ trucks, graders & backhoes/loaders
• 900+ chainsaws
• 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. Please turn your cell phone off and restart it periodically to allow it to reconnect when a network is reestablished.

Fatalities

Sixty-five storm-related deaths have been confirmed in North Carolina by Office of Chief Medical Examiner. We do 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. 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 Deployed

Gov. Cooper has activated more than 1,200 North Carolina National Guard soldiers and airmen to both conduct search and rescue operations and deliver critical supplies to Western North Carolina. As of Friday, 417 specialized vehicles and 26 aircrafts have been deployed 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. Currently, aviation assets and other equipment from Fort Liberty have been deployed and up to 1,000 active-duty military personnel are expected to begin deploying.

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:

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.

Major Disaster Declaration and FEMA Assistance

President Biden approved Governor Cooper’s request for an expedited request declaring a Major Disaster for 25 North Carolina counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. This declaration paves the way for Public Assistance to help our hard-hit local governments, as well as access to FEMA’s Individual Assistance program. On Wednesday, President Biden announced the approval of 100% FEMA reimbursement for six months, a significant funding commitment from the federal government.

FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs. Homeowners and renters in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians can apply.

North Carolinians may apply for Individual Assistance by calling 1-800-621-3362 from 7am to 11pm daily or by visiting www.disasterassistance.gov, or by downloading the FEMA app.

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.

If you are seeking a representative from the North Carolina Joint Information Center, please email ncempio@ncdps.gov or call 919-825-2599.

If you would like general information, access to resources, or answers to frequently asked questions, please visit ncdps.gov/helene.

If you are seeking information on resources for recovery help for a resident impacted from the storm, please email IArecovery@ncdps.gov.