The toll of the tropical storm that was once Hurricane Helene continues to unfold in North Carolina. The state’s picturesque and mountainous western region was inundated with historic rainfalls, flooding, land and mudslides.
We’re gathering what we know of the damage in each county in Western North Carolina. Here is an evolving snapshot of that toll as new information becomes available.
We’ll update this in the coming days with more counties and specific details.
Alexander County
About 8 % of the 19,000 homes and businesses in Alexander County remain without power as of Monday evening.
The Alexander County Sheriff’s Office said 7 main roads remain closed, including the Highway 16 bridge, which passes over Lake Hickory near the Oxford Dam, which saw water spill over its top during Friday’s rainfall.
The county reports that phone, internet and cell service have improved and have been restored in most government buildings.
Alleghany County
About 23% of the 9,835 homes and businesses in Alleghany County remain without power as of Monday evening.
Road closures include large sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway in this rural county along the Virginia border.
Ashe County
About 49% of the 21,778 homes and businesses in Ashe County remain without power as of Monday evening.
A long stretch of Highway 18 along the eastern border of Ashe County is closed. The New River State Park is currently closed.
The New River crested at 18.27 feet, higher than the 18-foot crest during the Great Flood of 1916 . The historic record, though, for the Jefferson water station is 22.5 feet, from 1940.
Avery County
About 56% of the 1,803 homes and businesses in Avery County remain without power as of Monday evening.
Three major road closures remain and many others are impassable in this mountainous county along the Tennessee border.
Grandfather Mountain , which includes Avery, Caldwell and Watauga counties, is closed until further notice.
Five shelters have been set up in Banner Elk , Beech Mountain , Ingalls , Newland and Minneapolis.
Curfew is in place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. to keep roadways clear.
Buncombe County
Buncombe County officials said Monday afternoon that 40 people have been found dead in that county alone.
So far Buncombe, which is home to Asheville , has the most reported Helene deaths in the state.
Buncombe County Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger said Monday that his office has received 11,000 requests from people seeking help to locate their loved ones amid the spotty cell service and destroyed roadways.
Mitchell County
About 39% of homes and businesses in Mitchell County are without power as of Monday evening.
Numerous roads throughout Mitchell County are impassable, and “a good bit of the county infrastructure has been either damaged or destroyed by floodwaters and uprooted trees and downed power lines,” according to the county. Bakersville , the county seat along Cane Creek, has been particularly hit hard.
The Red Cross opened a shelter at Mitchell High School in Ledger , while another opened at First Baptist Church in Spruce Pine . There’s a county-wide curfew from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Polk County
About 68% of homes and businesses in Polk are without power as of Monday evening.
The county reports “widespread devastation” and has set up a phone line with a recorded message for those seeking information, at 828-722-5086. Polk County High School in Columbus is serving as a shelter, and the county is seeking places to distribute food and water.
In the meantime, it’s asking people to “please stay at home or in a safe location.”
Among the roads closed, the westbound lanes of U.S. 74 east of Columbus are expected to reopened until next week.
Rutherford County
About 67% of 44,499 homes and businesses in Rutherford County are without power as of Monday evening.
There is widespread damage throughout the county, including in Chimney Rock . The Lake Lure Dam, once thought in danger of failure, has stabilized.
The town of Lake Lure said firefighters and town workers went door to door over the weekend rescuing people in the most affected area, many on foot or via helicopter because of closed roads. The top of the lake was covered in debris that the Broad River swept up on its way through Chimney Rock .
The county has set up distribution points for food and emergency supplies.
Transylvania County
About 69% of the 24,008 homes and businesses in Transylvania County are without power as of Monday evening.
The sheriff’s office said Sunday that Transylvania County had “received catastrophic damages, and we have still not been able to access all parts of the county.” Phone and cell service was out in many places, and power may take two weeks to restore in some areas.
Roads that were closed due to downed trees had been at least partially reopened on Monday, but several roads remain closed due to slides and are expected to be closed for an extended period of time. Among the roads closed Monday were U.S. 276 in Brevard and U.S. 64 throughout the county.
The county has a curfew from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Watauga County
About 42% of 29,118 homes and businesses in Watauga were without power on Monday evening.
Numerous homes and businesses were flooded in Boone , and the town’s water pipes were broken in several places. Residents have been told to boil drinking water before consuming it.
The Red Cross is running a shelter for residents and Appalachian University students whose off-campus homes were damaged.
More than 100 roads were closed or partially closed in the county as of Sunday evening. On Monday, N.C. 105 near Boone was impassable, and U.S. 321 near Banner Elk and the Tennessee state line was closed.
County and local officials ask all leisure travel to the area be postponed.
Wilkes County
About 16% of 38,691 homes and businesses in Wilkes County were without power as of Monday evening.
A county official told MyFox80, a local TV station, that between 150 and 200 homes are inaccessible because of blocked roads. A landslide had closed N.C. 18 between Wilkesboro and Sparta, and the road will likely be closed for about a month, said Jason Reavis, the Emergency Services Director.
The county got up to 16 inches of rain, Reavis said, but wasn’t as hard hit as others.
“We caught the side of it pretty much,” he said. “We are very fortunate and very blessed.”
A Red Cross shelter was opened at West Wilkes Middle School in Wilkesboro for those displaced or needing a meal or place to charge devices.
Yancey County
81% of the 14,610 homes and businesses in Yancey County were without power as of late Monday morning.
N.C. 97 partially collapsed near Burnsville and NC 80 collapsed south of Burnsville. Both roads are closed.
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