Hurricane Helene: One week after the deadly storm hit western North Carolina

Rescue crews and volunteers facing obstacles at every turn in North Carolina’s remote mountains paddled canoes across swollen rivers and steered horses past mudslides in the rush to reach those stranded or missing by Hurricane Helene’s rampage that killed more than 200 throughout the Southeast.
Now a week since the storm first roared onto Florida’s Gulf Coast, the search continued for people who have yet to be heard from in places where phone service and electricity were knocked out. Pleas for help came from people running low on medicine or in need of fuel for their generators.
How many people are missing or unaccounted for isn’t clear. The death toll soared to 215 people on Thursday as more victims were found, making Helene the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. since Katrina in 2005. Roughly half the victims were in North Carolina, while dozens more were killed in South Carolina and Georgia.
Along the Cane River in western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, rescuers from the Pensacola Volunteer Fire Department were cutting their way through trees at the top of a valley nearly a week after a wall of chocolate-milk colored water swept through for hours.
Pensacola, which sits a few miles from Mount Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi River, lost an untold number of people, said Mark Harrison, chief medical officer for the department.
"We’re starting to do recovery,” he said Thursday. “We’ve got the most critical people out.”
Harrison was helping dispatch volunteers driving all-terrain vehicles on supply runs to people still on ridgetops. Many don’t want to leave their houses, while others lost their vehicles and need help getting to town.
Bradley Billheimer, who hiked down to the fire station to access the internet, said he just talked to his mom for the first time since the storm. He feared his house will be without power for months.
“I think we’re going to walk out in a couple of days,” he said.
In another county that sits alongside the Tennessee state line, crews were just finishing clearing main routes and reaching side roads that wind through switchbacks and cross small bridges that can be tricky to navigate even in the best weather. Each road presented a new challenge.
“Everything is fine and then they come around a bend and the road is gone and it’s one big gully or the bridge is gone.” said Charlie Wallin, a commissioner in Watauga County. “We can only get so far.”
Most people the crews come across turn out to be fine and just in need of water, but every day there are new requests to check on someone who hasn’t been heard from yet, Wallin said. When the search will end is hard to tell, he said.
“You hope you’re getting closer, but it’s still hard to know,” he said.
A week into the search and rescue operations in Buncombe County, which includes the hard-hit tourist city of Asheville and where more than 72 have been killed, the county doesn’t have an official tally of people who are unaccounted for or missing.
The county sheriff said his office believes more than 200 people are missing, although other officials said the number is constantly changing when crews make contact with people who hadn’t been accounted for or receive new names of people who may be missing.
“We’re continuing to find people. We know we have pockets of people who are isolated due to landslides and bridges out,” said Avril Pinder, the county manager. “So they are disconnected but not missing.”
Frank Johnson, who owns a company that makes robotic cutting machines in Mars Hill, North Carolina, said he feels like he is running a relief mission on his own. He’s using his own workers, volunteers and supplies and know-how from his company to get water, food, fuel and other supplies to his neighbors.
“I’ve been hearing there are entire neighborhoods gone. I’m still not sure people have the whole grasp of what we’re dealing with,” Johnson said.
Electricity is being slowly restored, as the number of homes and businesses without power dipped below 1 million for the first time since last weekend, according to poweroutage.us. Most of the outages are in the Carolinas and Georgia, where Helene struck after coming into Florida on Sept. 26 as a Category 4 hurricane.
More information: www.wcnc.com/
How to help or donate: www.wcnc.com/a...

[@kathleenp9643]

Omg. This is heart breaking. I am in New York City and our neighborhood got taken out by Sandy. But seeing this? I have no words. These poor people. I wish I could do more than prayers and donate. God bless you all. 😭💔🙏🏻

[@t200b-i7k]

Thank you for this extensive report. There are no human words for this type of tragedy. 💔

[@xin8017]

no thanks

[@kiapanthistledown9453]

I've been through a few floods in my life, and I really think it's hard for folks who have not experienced one, to understand what a flood looks like. The idea that the water level can be so high.. it's mind blowing.

[@ItsAllApsyop]

I tried to comprehend it but it's hard. If you are in an enclosed area, it's easier to comprehend. But when the whole neighborhood is 8ft high? My mind is thinking the path of least resistance, it's an open tube so to speak, but not even sides to hold water in, yet it's there, 8ft high. Crazy.

[@tracywynn7319]

It’s a beautiful thing to see neighbors helping each other. And necessary since we can’t count on the federal government to help

[@kathleenp9643]

They will help…eventually. As usual, too little, too late. Prayers for all affected. 🙏🏻

[@carriegarrisonvos4433]

Brad is the very reason I took this storm super serious. He said that he was really worried for all our friends in the mountains and how dangerous this could be. He's never someone who makes a drama out of nothing and I knew it would be bad. Like he said you cannot describe how it ended up. I say in Banner Elk it's apolcolyptic but in lower Avery and South like Asheville, it's biblical. Still isn't a good enough description. We are lucky. We have spring water, a generator and we had bought gas. Friday was so scary. We lived and our house survived with some leaks we are working on. Electric will be out 3 to 5 weeks electric company said. But we lived because we prepared because we listened to Brad. Thank you Brad!

[@kiapanthistledown9453]

He's the best; we watch him all the time and in our house he's referred to as St. Brad. :)

[@kathleenp9643]

I’m so glad you listened. The day before hurricane Sandy hit, I was on a plane returning to New York City from Cancun. I saw Jim Cantore on the news saying that flooding was going to be bad in NYC. I told my friends that I think we are going to get flooded. They wanted to know who Jim Cantore is. I told them my sister in Florida told me that if Jim is in your town you are getting flooded. They all laughed at me. They weren’t laughing the next day. I live next to the water and we got hit bad. My friends house came off the foundation. We were without heat and power for almost 2 months in the winter and it was rough. But still, it was nothing compared to what I am seeing here. These poor people. 💔💔 Glad you had someone you trusted and listened to. Me too. Most of us have never seen flooding like this so we don’t take it seriously when we hear. 💔

[@seriejohnson698]

Why did Brad think it would be this bad? I am confused because I thought the hire up the less chance of flooding. Evidently, my thinking was completely wrong.

[@carriegarrisonvos4433]

@@seriejohnson698 Because of the fact we were saturated by a low sitting over us and also because the hurricane brought upsloping rain.

[@seriejohnson698]

@@carriegarrisonvos4433 Oh, never heard of upsloping rain. I guess will need to do a bit if reading on that. Just everything that could possibly happening, happening all at once to create the perfect storm of the century and hopefully the last of this century of the magnitude. This has been a very active year of weather volcanoes constantly erupting, earthquakes, mudslides, always a tornado brewing and then this hurricane. Hating to see what Winter brings to the Midwest this year. We have had some tornadoes with damage, but nothing like this wind and water damage. Just scary.

[@cynthiamcgee4829]

Morgan is an amazing man he looks like he's Cherokee and the Cherokee do not give up and they will go to every inch of their life to save somebody or to help somebody or animals. My daddy was a quarter Cherokee my Grandaddy was half. ❤️🙏

[@a.porter7512]

06 Oct 2024 France AWARD WINNING Thank you for this excellent reportage of this tragic disaster. I don’t know what award system for television news coverage there is, but whatever it is, you should win it. This is the most informative, covering so many issues and at the same time, heart filled news report I have seen in these troubled times. Thank you and God Bless you. Jesus loves you...a.

[@cynthiamcgee4829]

I know that that woman had damage to her barn and lost the hay but she did rescue the animals God bless her and them, and everyone else affected in the flood areas. 💕🙏🇺🇸

[@MaryLouCoursen]

God bless the ham radio operators⚓️💕

[@katherinepolk531]

No one really expected this storm to be this devastating. In this area we were going. to tropical storm. For that reason we weren’t prepared.

[@MaryLouCoursen]

Eastern Tennessee is also devastated ⚓️💕✝️

[@cynthiamcgee4829]

Ham operators are amazing and awesome my daddy was a ham. 💕

[@northerncapeprovinciallegi2427]

So so so sad😔 prayers upon prayers. May God bring complete restoration and new beginnings. I wish i had words to encourage and edify but none comes to mind. Just prayers 😭😭😭😭😭 May God build up what was lost, give hope to the hopeless, faith and power to pick up the pieces. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@evelyncrouse4725]

That really touched me that a man got baptized and gave his life to the Lord Jesus

[@melmac685]

Many in Asheville will NEVER RETURN ....they won't start over THERE

[@sumiland6445]

Maybe for now many will have to leave, but in a year or two, maybe they'll be back 🤗💝

[@ItsAllApsyop]

They'll take their liberal thinking to another area and destroy it.

[@rageintothelight]

The saddest part of all of this is people who live outside of Asheville already don't have much and are poor. This is catastrophic for everyone and i dont know if some will eveb rebuild here.

[@DataJunkieTX]

Wasnt there a dam that broke? I heard (early) from the news there was a big concern for residents due to a dam breech or complete failure. If a dam broke and with all the rain they experienced for two days prior to Helene hitting none of them stood a chance. It sounds like “the perfect storm”. I wonder if ANY of it could have been prevented? I’ve seen this kind of water from storms that drop 13 inches an hour in Houston, only to find out later that leadership didn’t update much needed infrastructure with our bayous which would have prevented the devastation. All of America is watching and with NC even if our GOVT still does nothing.

[@michellelester243]

45:00 travel insurance is for unforseen circumstances and yes, a hurricane impacting all the way to NC was unexpected. You are lucky that you were able to pressure your host into providing a refund.

[@esthersalness8234]

Finallya News story I did not turn off, because although devastation, it was real info, reality.

[@dalesmith2987]

I see pictures but very few people. Were are all the people?

[@valerieklassen3409]

Praying

[@exoticbeautybrina2156]

I am sorry to hear what your family and others are going through after this storm. Here is my advice to your family when taking showers. Boil water, then fill a bucket with water, take some of the hot water that you boil and pour in the bucket of water to each person comfort on their body and have an empty bowl to dip water out from the bucket to wet your body, wash your face and body. Soap up your rag scrub your body, wash everywhere good. Then you dip out more water to rinse off your body and that's how everyone can take a warm shower daily. Cooking outside is a blessing too. If you run out of gas, you can set up fire using wood to still cook outside in cast iron pots or stainless steel pots. You can cook boil water. Make a pot of coffee and tea and drink that as needed even if you can when the heat is gone. You can make bread in cast iron pots on the wood fire outside. With fire under the bottom and cover the bread with a lid and put a little fire on top to bake a few breads. Cook up some of your meat so your family can eat bread with meat etc. Cook up some rice and make a stew and have that. So y'all can eat that the entire day. Prepare as many things as you can at once to feed your family the entire day if you don't want to prepare meals & cook 3 square meals daily. That's what we do when we have hurricanes and no power or warm water to bathe and that's how we cook daily. We figure out what meals we would prepare the next day to eat and that's what we did everyday until power was back on. When we didn't have water we took our clothes in tubs by the creek or river and washed them by hand and hung on lines at home too dry and they would dry within no time. Everyone put together and helps get everything done daily. That's strength and the power that God gives us all. Those are skills we all should have. In case you don't have a wood stove, maybe now should be a time to plan on getting one. In case things like this happens during winter, you can still heat your home with the stove and be able to cook etc. If you have water but it's cold you boil big pots of water to use and shower as I mention before. That is how it was done back in the days. These skills are life saving skills. God bless, I pray this helps someone today. Love you my sisters & brothers as Christ tells us too. Stay strong and safe.

[@tracygideon9400]

Why no reporting on FEMA response? It’s great that neighbors and other people helping tax paying citizens in this catastrophic situation Where is the feds and why won’t you report that????

[@ItsAllApsyop]

They get $750 from FEMA but illegals get $9000. But yeah, no conspiracy here. Move along.

[@corrinaprince3466]

I'm in Morganton NC. Our town was also devastated. Where's FEMA? Not here. We haven't seen any help from the government. People are running out of food and water and no assistance from the government. Any help we're getting is donations from average citizens. I always thought the government would step in and help. Now I know, we only have each other to depend on. Please keep North Carolina in your prayers.

[@seriejohnson698]

Well, this disaster is far reaching. Give it time. Also is your states wanted the states that voted against FEMA.mi know 175 Republicans voted against funding it in 2021. Would love to know how many preached self sufficiency and no government interference and are the loudest to yell where is FEMA, really wonder.

[@BrianButterworth-s4z]

​@@seriejohnson698Nice story, but Mayorkis said out of his own mouth that FEMA is out of money because they spent it on migrants.

[@jillgebauer1292]

Why are you telling people in need of supplies who everyone knows does not have power or cell service to "go on our website for details?" You can't just say it? They could have battery operated radios to hear! HOW STUPID!

[@pauljudd9825]

Country NOT divided. Govt is out of control

[@sandrajohnson5804]

Someone in charge is heartless and greedy is figuring out how to steal someone of the money . Like they ALWAYS DO !

[@PapaSmurf61]

Shame on this administration, president, vice president, shame on FEMA!

[@Richard_Ryder]

FEMA is literally working 24/7, you’re delusional

[@barbarascott287]

Not a "Hurricane". Weather War. Engineered.

[@toddincabo]

Brought to you by your friendly GOP, thanks Rethuglicans.

[@KenCunningham-fq4uy]

Jesus said, "When you cared for one of the least of these, my little ones, my true brothers and sisters, you did for me." Matthew 25:40

[@really7497]

And they still trip with you on what they do cover! You might have to take them to court! Insurance companies! Message! They can be evil! Yes!

[@rachely3799]

Where is a legit link to donate to?

[@leayape]

Awesome organizations, the money goes exactly where is needed! Truckloads of goods and essentials, they take to them in need. God bless their souls! 🙏

[@jenbufordjb]

Sundown town? 😮

[@monamedley6666]

Your volume is all over the place my friend.

[@vennie951]

Dam(n) good questions!

[@jesuschristislord9150]

After all that she give glory to men not to God, she said she was lucky smh when this people gonna REPENT, REPENT AND FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST BEFORE ITS TOO LATE ✝️

[@eddiew2325]

Jesus Christ is good (not really)

[@melissamcandrew5037]

Where is FEMA?

[@TarynWashinton]

That star on the side of the house told me all I need to know. I'm out.

[@cherylperkins7538]

I'm so, so sorry. I cat say anything else.

[@xin8017]

plus 1

[@jesuschristislord9150]

REPENT AND FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST BEFORE ITS TOO LATE ✝️ JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY HOPE ✅️ ALL GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST ✝️,

[@superpossum78]

Young people seeming so shocked at the realities of life.

[@sumiland6445]

Oklahoma love to all in the disaster zone that runs from the sputhernmost tip of Florida to the Great Lakes. We'll recover together 💝

[@DataJunkieTX]

Everyone should invest in a satellite phone, even blackberry phones worked when we lost recent power and communications in Texas.

[@just_jay7078]

I...DON'T...UNDERSTAND....WHY this keep happening every year in regards to Mother Nature events that many don't have a plan or supplies. I have learned my lesson(s) from Bonnie, Floyd, Isabelle & Irene.

[@shadowbanned4days]

Imminent domain..your govt requires lithium.

[@leayape]

@ shadowbanned4days Yep! 😠 And I love your name! 😂

[@yogicdance240]

These energy and infrastructure organizations have to take responsibility for dropping the ball on these hydro projects. Intentionally flooding towns to make dams and lakes is an age-old American pastime that usually disenfranchises poor residents. There should have been more foresight regarding the possibility for such devastation.

[@BrianButterworth-s4z]

Cannot sue the army Corp of engineers

[@darleneanderson9874]

I do hope you that voted for Camel Toe has family in the effect area of the hurricane. Asked them has she helped them? Are they happy with the $750 they will if luck gets in 10 days? Do they want 4 more years of her regime? If so vote for her.

[@cynthiamcgee4829]

No THANK YOU!!!!!!!! TRUMP!!!!!

[@paulinavaldez3913]

I can't imagine anyone voting Democrat... Trump 2024!!!

[@rooker7993]

It’s great that the people still have the real president of the USA,to support them, Donald J Trump, The world is watching.

[@sandraburke1258]

How much MONEY/SHARES does Duke Energy OWN in the Quartz & Lithium Mining Industry--they just got their SUPER HWY OPENED UP for DISTRIBUTION OF their products from creek to highway? Not to mention mountain slopes of danger in mining have now been landslided-problem solved money saved?

[@merickhorsford9072]

☎️Dear America 🇺🇸:// Now Is The Time To Stand Together, 🚨 Being A Non Citizen, I Was in Tears 😢😢😢,🚨 To See So Much,Families Lost Not Only their Homes,🚨 But Also Their Beloved Love Ones,🚨 Such Is A Sad Lost, Too 😢 Much To Imagine,🚨 I Pray All The Multi Millionaires in ,🚨 Different State of America, Forget About, Showing Off To The Internet and The World, 🚨 All Your Flashy Cars And Mansion Houses,🚨 And Give Back Some Of Your Millions,🚨 Back To Your People,Who Has Lost Everything,🚨 So As A Nation They Can Rebuild,🚨 Back Local Towns and County's Which Has Been,🚨 Flooded And Lost Everything Throughout,🚨 I Always Believed, Together We Build and Advance,🚨 But Divided We Fall And Crumble .🚨 In The End Prays To The Families Who Is Now In Moaning, For Their Lost, May God Bring Some Form of Comfort To ! Each and Everyone Of You,🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹. God Bless 📌

[@norm2264]

There's one way of getting rid of Biden Harris newcomers😅

[@valerieklassen3409]

Trump will come

[@RoyBurnell-o6n]

Walker Helen Gonzalez Thomas Jones Gary

[@kevinmays1908]

American shouldn't ask for help, Ukraine and Iran need our tax dollars more

[@frankalexander9835]

MEANT FEMA

[@kbsanders]

Biden said you guys are "happy across the board". Is that true?

[@SteamvilleQuintet]

Isn't everyone just ecstatic watching their house sail downstream, just to be offered that whopping $750? IF you qualify. IF they don't run out of money. Oopsy, they gave the money to migrants before they started.

[@MaryLouCoursen]

@@SteamvilleQuintet and much more than $750

[@xin8017]

yes

[@SteamvilleQuintet]

@@xin8017 < Awww, we got a new youtube agent liar.

[@SteamvilleQuintet]

@xin8017 < Awww, we got a new youtube agent liar.

[@melmac685]

Ecactly FEMA hasn't helped in PHYSICAL HELP in ckearing & RESTORING CITY WATER....why?

[@sumiland6445]

You need to stop lying

[@kiapanthistledown9453]

Stop it.. Those of us with loved ones up there really are damn sick of these freaking lies. Shame on you!

[@sumiland6445]

@@kiapanthistledown9453 you can report it to youtube by tapping the 3 dots on the right, select "misinformation"

[@mattm3729]

@@kiapanthistledown9453so the people living there - those people who testify to this - they’re lying?

[@MaryLouCoursen]

I was 32 years in Texas and it was always one on one get out the chain saws and clear street by street one neighbor working with another stranger soon to be a friend BUT Texas is flat. I am in Elizabethton Tennessee and have never seen water rise so fast we were trapped in the building and the fire engines came and helped the first floor residents/seniors move to the High School. Angels everywhere ⚓️💕

[@louisemason2918]

brittney jackson, you are super petty. Seriously, you should have purchased insurance.

[@SteamvilleQuintet]

Sure, so you can wait, get a lawyer, wait another 7 years to be paid a quarter of the policy promise.

[@norm2264]

Not one word from Biden

[@xin8017]

hahahahha

[@StEvEn-md8ez]

Stupid people are never afraid . DAN

[@xin8017]

haha

[@brian7518]

DON'T DECIEVED ??? PURE EVIL 👿

[@davidlangleyjr2047]

i heard tennesee is stealing hurricane relief

[@tracygideon9400]

Why no reporting on FEMA response? It’s great that neighbors and other people helping tax paying citizens in this catastrophic situation Where is the feds and why won’t you report that????

[@melissamcandrew5037]

Where is FEMA?