ASHEVILLE – Five more deaths have been reported after Tropical Storm Helene’s historic flooding of Buncombe County communities, as the county now has a reported 35 fatalities from the historic floods caused by Tropical Storm Helene, Sheriff Quentin Miller said during a Sept. 30 10 a.m. briefing. In Western North Carolina, at least 41 fatalities have been attributed to the storm in Western North Carolina – 35 in Buncombe, five in Henderson and one in Macon County.
In Macon County, Miller said one police deputy died during storm response efforts.
“Devastation does not even begin to describe how we feel, but my teams will be continuing to help in recovery,” Miller said. He did not answer if certain communities in Buncombe County had seen higher death tolls than others.
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The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation has sent support to help notify the families and next of kin, he said.
Distribution sites will begin, as families search for loved ones
County Manager Avril Pinder said that distributions of food and water will begin today, Sept. 30. Distribution site locations will be announced at noon while distribution will start at 2 p.m. Pinder said the “industry standard” will be 3 gallons of water per person.
The reason for announcing the sites so late is because they don’t want lines to form yet, Pinder said, indicating that they wanted security at the sites before opening.
“We are aware that many in our community cannot make it to the distribution sites, and we’re working to develop a mobile distribution plan,” Pinder said.
The reason it’s taken so long is because aid is requested through the state and then supplies are brought in through FEMA, Pinder said. The county has been “frustrated” and has wanted a “better response from our state partners,” she continued. That FEMA aid just arrived at
“The way it works in North Carolina, you request to your state to bring those supplies in through FEMA. So we requested that and it just arrived today,” Pinder said.
More: Full scope of Helene devastation not clear as recovery underway: ‘Our hearts are broken’
As for those who are looking for their lost loved ones, Buncombe County Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger said that the office has received 11,000 requests for people trying to find or contact their loved ones. Most are just trying to get in touch with their families. He said that they’ve narrowed down that list to 150 households where they will be knocking on those doors across the community, even with a bike brigade. He said you can volunteer by stopping 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Donations
Those who are interested in donating and volunteering can message the following emails:
More: Western North Carolina live updates: 5 more deaths reported in Buncombe County, death toll up to 35
This story will be updated.
Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at [email protected]. Consider supporting this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: As Helene flood Asheville-area fatalities rise, food, water, aid today
