A “massive” joint emergency response is ongoing in western North Carolina, where dozens of lives are now confirmed lost to Hurricane Helene and whole communities were “wiped off the map,” Gov. Roy Cooper said on Tuesday.
Hundreds of roads are damaged and remain impassible while communication in and out of affected areas broken by the storm is still difficult, he said during a press conference in Raleigh between trips to the disaster area.
Around 380,000 customers are still without power and access to drinkable water has become critical in some areas. At least 50 people are dead in and around Asheville in the Blue Ridge Mountains after the storm dumped more than two feet of rain in parts of the region.
“The challenges are immense, but our joint response effort has and will continue to be massive,” Cooper said. “No matter who or where you are in western North Carolina, if you need help, we are working around the clock to reach you.”
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is briefed by emergency management officials on Tuesday. NC Governor’s Office photo
President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit both Carolinas on Wednesday to view from the air areas slammed by Hurricane Helene and the floods produced by the tropical storm as it swirled northward from the Gulf of Mexico late last week.
Biden will receive operational briefings, and greet first responders and local officials. He will also engage with first responders and state and local officials in South Carolina on his way to North Carolina, the White House said on Tuesday afternoon.
State and federal officials have already flocked to the stricken North Carolina mountains, where 25 counties are under a state of emergency. Entire mountain towns were washed away by swollen rivers that produced catastrophic flooding.
Vice President Kamala Harris also plans a visit to the epicenter of Helene’s wrath. She will touch down in Georgia on Wednesday and will tour the destruction in North Carolina in the coming days, The Associated Press reports.
Both Biden and Harris have coordinated their visits to avoid getting in the way of ongoing disaster response and recovery operations. National Guard troops, state emergency management personnel and rescue teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continue to perform rescue, relocation and resupply missions throughout the North Carolina mountains, Tennessee and northern Georgia.
By Tuesday morning, the North Carolina National Guard had conducted 57 individual air missions, moved roughly 200,000 pounds of food and water into the region and rescued over 400 individuals by helicopter alone. This was accomplished in 72 hours of combined air and ground operations, according to the National Guard.
North Carolina has activated nearly 800 National Guard troops with nearly 300 vehicles and aircraft, including hoist and emergency aviation assets, and high-water response vehicles.
One CH-47F Chinook helicopter provided by the Maryland National Guard has moved 75 first responders, rescued 20 people and 6 dogs, and transported tens of thousands of pounds of food and water.
Victims of Hurricane Helene board a National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter in western North Carolina. NCNG Photo
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol has also provided two helicopters that are performing reconnaissance and search-and-rescue missions, the North Carolina National Guard said on Tuesday.
“As heartbreaking as this damage has been, it’s encouraging to see the way people are working together,” Cooper said. “I talked with a number of first responders, medical workers and volunteers who have left their own families to take care of our communities, many of them had damage to their own homes. I’m deeply grateful for their sacrifice. That resilience and generous spirit will power much of this recovery today.”
North Carolina Emergency Management Director Will Ray said there are 28 county states of emergency and 58 municipal states of emergency that remain in place, with more than 1,100 individuals being served in 25 emergency shelters.
“Commodities are being shipped by both road and by air. Rescue efforts are continuing and we will continue those until everyone that needs our help is assisted,” Ray said. “This disaster is unlike anything our state has ever experienced. North Carolina is strong and resilient, and we will get through this together.”
Ray said conditions on the ground remain extremely dangerous. Roadways and buildings are damaged or destroyed. There are downed power lines and unstable ground with the risk for landslides continuing, he said.
“We need to keep both ground routes and airspace free for first responders and public safety to work unimpeded, to provide services and restoration,” Ray said. “There’s a tremendous aviation operation underway to continue rescue operations, to distribute commodities, to move supplies into those communities.”
FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams are in North Carolina going door-to-door to register survivors for federal assistance & identify any immediate needs they may have. They’re also visiting local shelters to help those without cell service or power with their applications.
At least 1,600 employees with the state Department of Transportation (NCDOT), augmented by 70 contract road crews were working Tuesday to reopen transportation routes, according to Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins. Still, there were 425 road closures midday Tuesday and NCDOT has identified more than 700 damage sites, he said.
“I-26 is open throughout the state of North Carolina, and 421 is open to Boone and even past Boone toward the Tennessee line,” Hopkins said.
“However, we’ve got I-40 closed … and it will be for some time due to the extent of the damage. We’re already looking at some things to stabilize the road that’s left there, so hopefully we can start repairs just as soon as possible. At this still recommending a limit on travel in western North Carolina unless it’s an emergency or you are assisting with recovery efforts. Travel in this area for non-emergency personnel is hindering needed emergency response.”
“Our top priority is to open as many roads as we can so residents can get the supplies they need, and our utility partners can reach areas to repair their own infrastructure,” Hopkins added.
