NC Gov. Roy Cooper visits Lansing

LANSING — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper visited Lansing on Oct. 3 to see first hand the damage Hurricane Helene inflicted on the community.

Stopping by the Lansing Volunteer Fire Department, the governor spoke with residents and community leaders, taking time to listen to their concerns. He also spoke with business owners and volunteers while he toured CJ’s Market, one of the many businesses impacted by the storm.

“We are talking with people about their specific needs and working to channel as much help their way as we possibly can,” Cooper said.

He said that there are 92 search and rescue teams that are working to bring people out and that the National Guard is coordinating with other states as part of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. Cooper also said that the state is utilizing helicopters from Fort Liberty to aid in recovery efforts.

“There’s a lot to do, but I have confidence that Western North Carolinians will find their way back,” Cooper said.

More than 1,000 members of the North Carolina National Guard have been deployed to assist impacted communities across western North Carolina.

Cooper said that there are crews currently working to get the power turned back on. He also said that the North Carolina Department of Transportation is working to make sure that roads and routes are cleared for the utility vehicles.

NCDOT Division 11 Engineer Michael Poe said that their task right now is to make the roads as safe as they can.

“We’ve got a lot of places along the shoulder that have bust out or out into the roads,” Poe said. He also said that many of the fixes would be temporary in nature. Some would require regular maintenance until the roads can be fully assessed for repair.

NC DPS Secretary Eddie Buffaloe and NC DHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley were also in attendance. According to both agencies, ensuring families have access to MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), water, infant formula when necessary, as well as other essential items, is part of ensuring families who were affected by the storm have their core support needs met.

“We’re in the response phase right now, and recovery is going to be a long haul, and so we’re also really focused on supporting the mental health and well being of these communities,” Kinsley said.

Cooper highlighted that just in Ashe County alone, there have been significant amounts of water and oxygen tanks supplied to the county. The county has been getting assistance from SBI agents, a drone team, and a tactical dispatch team.

“There’s more coming, but we know that the needs here are significant. We also know that support is going to be- needs to be sustained for a long period of time, and that’s practically what we’re working on now,” Cooper said.