Tuesday updates from western NC after Helene: Power outages, road closures, recovery efforts

Recovery efforts are underway in western North Carolina, where responders are working to restore power to hundreds of thousands of people, clear roads and deliver needed supplies, days after the region was struck by Helene.

Hundreds of thousands of people in North Carolina and South Carolina are without power, according to Duke Energy. Local, state and federal agencies are focused on search and rescue operations, and delivering food, water and other supplies to communities.

“The devastation was beyond belief, and even when you prepare for something like this, this is something that’s never happened before in western North Carolina,” Gov. Roy Cooper said during a press conference Monday, Sept. 30 in Asheville.

Here’s what you need to know Tuesday, Oct. 1.

This story will be updated throughout the day.

What is the death toll from Helene?

CNN reported on Oct. 1 that 56 people have died from Helene in North Carolina, but the NC Dept. of Health and Human Services only confirmed 42. At least 143 people in the Southeast have died from Helene, CNN reported the afternoon of Oct. 1.

There will be a “ significant number of fatalities ” in North Carolina as a result of the recent storm, Gov. Roy Cooper said in a press conference Monday, Sept. 30 in Asheville.

How many people are still unaccounted for?

About 600 people are missing in Asheville alone as of Sept. 30, Mayor Esther Manheimer told CNN .

Trying to reach a missing person impacted by Helene in NC? What to do and who to call

How many people are without power in North Carolina?

As of 2:30 p.m. Oct. 1, more than 277,000 Duke Energy customers did not have power, according to the company’s website.

Outages were affecting more than 100,000 customers in Buncombe County as of early afternoon Oct. 1. Duke Energy also reported that about 51,000 of 69,300 people served in Henderson County and about 400 of 655 in Madison County did not have power.

Nearly all of Duke Energy’s customers in Polk County were dealing with outages.

Keep track of outages here .

When will power be restored in western North Carolina?

Duke Energy expects to restore power for most people by Friday, Oct. 4 , the company announced in a press release Sept. 30. However, it may take longer to restore service in areas that are inaccessible.

Which roads are closed in western North Carolina?

The North Carolina Department of Transportation continues to amplify the message that all roads in the western part of the state should be considered closed .

“We don’t want you here if you don’t live here and you’re not helping with the storm,” Joey Hopkins, the secretary of transportation, said during a press conference at Asheville Regional Airport on Sept. 30.

There are 425 known road closures with 700 damage sites , Hopkins said during an Oct. 1 press conference.

”We believe there are more road closures than have been shown on the Drive NC website, however that’s the best information we have at this time,” Hopkins said.

NCDOT has more than 1,600 employees from across the state and dozens of contracting companies working to clear debris and make repairs, The N&O’s Richard Stradling reported . Some repairs will take months.

I-26 is closed at the Tennessee state line, and eastbound lanes of I-40 in the Pigeon River Gorge collapsed into the river in several places near the Tennessee line.

A few roads have been reopened, as of early afternoon Oct. 1:

• Interstates 26 and 40 south and east of Asheville can be used by people trying to evacuate the area.

• Westbound I-40 is expected to reopen sometime Oct. 1

• U.S. 421 is open through Boone

North Carolina National Guard mobilizes hundreds of personnel

The North Carolina National Guard, which has called about 800 people to assist with recovery efforts in the mountain region following Helene, is focused on search and rescue operations , said Maj. Gen. Todd Hunt, the adjutant general of the North Carolina National Guard, during a press conference Sept. 30.

The National Guard is also working to deliver water and commodities to communities in western counties.

During an Oct. 1 press conference, Hunt said the National Guard has been able to get into every affected county , including a liaison officer.

There are also 21 aircraft flying in the valleys around Asheville, helping shuttle goods and personnel from a staging point at the Asheville Regional Airport into areas where roads are still cut off. As aircraft move food, water and fuel into damaged communities they are also participating in the ongoing search and rescue mission.

Hunt gave the example of a flight Sept. 30 that was moving 75 first responders and commodities but also rescued 20 people and six dogs en route.

”They’re our eyes and ears on what’s going on out there,” Hunt said.

Additional military aid planned for western NC

The federal government is working to make military assets available to help with the response, potentially from North Carolina’s large bases like the U.S. Army’s Fort Liberty , Cooper said Oct. 1.

Initially, those would likely be air assets like helicopters that are capable of moving food and water to locations that are hard to reach over land because of significant damage to Western North Carolina’s roads and bridges .

”We know that this crisis will likely be a sustained crisis because of water system issues so we know that this is going to have to be a continuing operation,” Cooper said.

Cooper added that there is still “some work that needs to be done” before the military’s equipment is available for the response.

North Carolina’s price gouging law is in effect

Attorney General Josh Stein said during an Oct. 1 press conference that his office has received about 70 price gouging complaints , with about a third each related to fuel, groceries and hotel rooms.

As of late morning Oct. 1, three of those had led to the Attorney General’s Office issuing civil investigative demands.

”We simply will not allow price gougers to take advantage of you when you’re in need,” Stein said.

The price gouging law , which makes it illegal for businesses to charge too much for goods and services during a crisis, has been in effect since a state of emergency was declared.

To report potential price gouging , call 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or go to ncdoj.gov/pricegouging .

Ask the North Carolina Service Journalism Team

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• If you have a question about the Charlotte area , send The Charlotte Observer team a question by submitting questions to this form .
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