Gov. Cooper declares State of Emergency ahead of Hurricane Helene

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — In light of the severe threat of heavy rain, flooding and wind, Gov. Cooper issued a State of Emergency for North Carolina through Saturday morning.

This comes as Hurricane Helene has been upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane from being a tropical storm.

According to the governor, The State Emergency Response Team is deploying equipment, personnel, and resources to support impacted communities, including, North Carolina Swift Water Rescue Teams and Urban Search and Rescue Teams, resources from the North Carolina National Guard, and specialized personnel for communications and incident management support.

“Helene threatens heavy rain, flash flooding, landslides, and damaging winds to the mountains and Piedmont areas of our state,” said Governor Cooper. “Now is the time for North Carolinians to prepare, make sure emergency kits are up-to-date and pay attention to the weather alerts in your area.”

Although Helene has officially become a Hurricane, the CBS 17 Storm Team predicts that Helene will further intensify as it moves further into the Florida Gulf.

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