Death toll rises to 40 in Buncombe County; Biden will visit Asheville

(WLOS) – These Hurricane Helene updates are for Monday, September 30.

Western North Carolina continues to recover after the hurricane struck the night of September 26 and into the day of September 27, bringing torrential rain and hurricane-force winds that knocked down trees onto power lines.

Hundreds of thousands are still without power and water. We will continue with live updates throughout the day.

7:00pm – Polk County Schools and local government provide updates to the community.

Polk County Schools announced that prepared meals will be distributed at Polk County High School from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Tuesday, October 1st, while supplies last. General merchandise will also be available for distribution at this location.

Polk County Schools also said Duke Energy expects power to be restored to most residents by Friday, Oct. 4.

FULL STATEMENT:

Polk County Local Government also released a statement today via Facebook regarding food and supply information, donations and more.

The post states that anyone who needs immediate assistance can contact the dedicated phone lines at 828-722-5025 or 828-722-5026.

For those wishing to support Polk County residents, outside donations can be brought to Thermal Belt Outreach, located at 134 White Drive, Columbus, NC. Officials are asking that donations be non-perishable food and comfort supplies.

Drop-in will be accepted from Tuesday, October 1st to Thursday, October 3rd between 8:00am and 4:00pm.

The full statement can be found here Here.

6:00 PM – Henderson County provides an update.

Henderson County remains under a state of emergency, and the 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. curfew is still in effect for the entire county.

Henderson County emergency crews continue to work calls and rescues throughout the county and are asking residents to limit travel so that crews can not only work on the emergency, but also Duke Energy crews can work to restore power.

The county has launched an official hub to collect donation requests and volunteer sign-ups for local individuals and organizations. Visit this site for more information.

The Henderson County transfer station will remain open Oct. 1 and will accept storm debris at regular rates. They are still working on a free storm debris site that will be available soon.

The county gathers supplies from federal, state and local resources. More information about the cast will be available soon.

Hendersonville Water & Sewer has made progress in stabilizing core areas of the water distribution system. Crews are working to restore water service to the eastern part of the county.

All water customers remain under a system pressure advisory and are advised to use bottled water or boil water before consumption. Customers will be notified using the City’s AlertHVL system, using the customer’s contact information for billing, when the system pressure announcement is high.

Water service customers are encouraged to conserve water.

The Henderson County Call Center is available for all non-medical information requests. Please call 828-771-6670 or email [email protected]. For emergencies, please call 911.

For anyone looking for additional information, visit this website and click on the Hurricane Helene Updates banner.

5:00 PM – President Joe Biden will visit Asheville on Wednesday.

President Joe Biden will travel to Asheville, NC, on Wednesday, Oct. 2, for a briefing and aerial survey of storm-ravaged Asheville, the Associated Press reports.

4 p.M. – Buncombe County confirms 40 storm-related deaths at news conference.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY:

Buncombe County officials report that the death toll from Hurricane Helene has risen from 35 to 40 in the county.

Officials also reported that power has been restored, but 90,000 people in Buncombe County remain without power.

Water system damage is “catastrophic” and “serious” throughout the county, but the water and public works department is constantly working to restore water. It was also confirmed that there was no evidence that the dam at Bee Tree had been compromised. The Mills River Water Treatment Plant is operating but at reduced capacity.

As of now, officials say there is no exact timetable for water restoration, but officials say it could take weeks. Depending on the level of damage to the water systems, service will start slowly and happen in some areas before others.

WOODFIN:

Officials confirmed that everyone in Woodfin now has access to a road or street and that no one is still trapped inside. Officials have confirmed there has been one fatality in Woodfin: a woman who was killed by a falling tree.

WEAVERVILLE:

Officials say some water service will be restored this week and a boil water advisory will be in effect and water conservation is advised.

Officials say a new update will be released on Monday, October 1st at 10:00 AM

3:30 PM – Governor Cooper addresses the catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.

Governor Roy Cooper traveled to western North Carolina to survey the devastation left by Hurricane Helene.

Cooper’s full remarks at the press briefing and more information can be found here Here.

2:50 PM – Four confirmed deaths from flooding in Haywood County

Haywood County provided an update this afternoon on recovery efforts and reported there were four confirmed flood deaths.

Haywood County Sheriff Bill Wilkie said next of kin have been notified.

Wilkie said the sheriff’s office will be conducting health checks and people can call the following number: 888-892-1162.

He also said the county curfew remains in effect from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.

2:45 p.m. – The boil water advisory has been lifted in Boone

Municipal staff took multiple water samples from multiple locations in our water system for testing, all of which were absent or negative for contamination. As of 2:30 p.m. today, the boil water advisory has been lifted. It is safe to use water for human consumption directly from our system.

10:45 a.m. – Death toll rises to 35 in Buncombe County

Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller reports that the death toll from Hurricane Helene has risen from 30 to 35 in Buncombe County.

Miller made the announcement during Buncombe County officials’ 10 a.m. press conference

Miller also said there have been reports of store robberies and confrontations at gas stations.

Henderson County reported Sept. 29 in a news conference that there were five deaths related to Hurricane Helene.

8 AM – Asheville Regional Airport provides air travel updates

According to a news release from the Asheville Regional Airport, flights are slowly returning to normal.

The airport provided these updates to News 13 this morning:

Commercial air service resumes. Two American Airlines flights landed this morning.

Delta and United are also resuming some flights this morning.

We are working to get information on Allegiant and Sun Country and will post as soon as we have news to share.

Please note: Flight status is subject to change, especially in these uncertain times. Check the status of your flight with the airline before coming to the airport.

IMPORTANT: We were unable to update our website. The flight information on the airport website is incorrect.

We have had questions about the vehicles in our parking lots. Great news – none of the lots were flooded and the cars are fine. Those who were unable to recover their cars due to the storm – stay safe and pick up your car when you can. The airport has waived additional fees that would have accrued for storm days and during this recovery week.

We expect more relief flights today, which brings a lot of hope.

5 AM – Macon County Sheriff’s Deputy Reportedly Killed in Helene Floodwaters

At 7:00 p.m., September 29, the Macon County Sheriff’s Office made an emotional Facebook post about one of their own, who died in the flood waters from Hurricane Helene.

“This is one of the most difficult releases we’ve ever had to do,” the post said.

The deputy allegedly died after his truck went under water. According to the post, witnesses saw the truck go down into the river near Fulton Road. The sheriff’s office reported that the body was recovered and it was Deputy Jim Lau, who was a former deputy with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office in DeLand, Florida.

The Macon County Sheriff’s Office said the initial 911 call came in at 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 27.

“It was soon realized that one of our courthouse security officers, Jim Lau, had not returned to work since lunch and his truck matched the description of the truck that was seen in the river. A search effort was initiated that afternoon by multiple emergency services. A foot search, drone search and multiple swift water rescue teams were called in,” the post said.

The post said the search was called off at sunset and then resumed on the morning of September 29.

“Jim’s body was found and recovered from the river shortly after the search began,” the post said.

The Macon County Sheriff’s Office said the North Carolina State Highway Patrol was the investigating agency for this incident and that it is an ongoing investigation.

“Jim was well liked and respected within our department. He was known to be a hard worker, reliable and stepped in wherever help was needed. His absence will be truly felt in our agency,” the post said. “We are asking for prayers for this family and their loved ones and we are asking for prayers for our department. We continue to pray for Western North Carolina as a whole; the tragedy surrounding our mountain communities is unimaginable.”

5:30 AM – Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office Warns of Hurricane Helene Scams

The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office sent out a news release warning residents of scammers who may try to scam residents out of their money while giving

“We want to warn everyone about scammers who may try to take advantage of your generosity,” the post said. “In the coming days, scammers will likely start contacting us in various ways, claiming to be taking donations for disaster relief. While many people asking for donations have good and sincere intentions, others may just be after your money. If you receive a call, text or email asking for donations for those affected by the disaster, be sure to verify the source before sharing any financial information.”

The sheriff’s office said it will never ask for payment or donations over the phone.

Check back here for live updates throughout the day.