Hurricane Helene: Over 220 dead as some communities struggle to get basic supplies

Natalie Obregon

Rebecca Cohen

Asheville’s Deputy Police Chief Sean Aardema said the city has processed approximately 300 total missing person reports and that 270 of those people are "alive and well."

Those found have been put in contact with family, friends or whoever reported them missing, Aardema said.

Now, police are "working actively" on 75 missing person cases, with assistance from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, Aardema said.

At an afternoon news conference, officials in Buncombe County also said they are not yet naming the deceased.

The city is working to restore the water system, said Ben Woody, assistant city manager.

He said the North Fork water treatment plant "was built to be able to withstand ... a typical hurricane event" and that once it is fixed, "it can provide water to 80% of the Asheville water system."

"This is a priority repair for us at this time," Woody said.

Helene washed away "almost 25 feet of earth" that was covering the pipe, Woody said, adding that there was "catastrophic damage to this bypass waterline."

Woody did not provide a timeline on when the water system would be functional, but promised regular updates.

Evan Bush

The National Centers for Environmental Information’s data systems remain down and there’s no timeline for restoration, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The NCEI, which maintains an archive of climate data that dates to the 1700s, is based in Asheville. Its weather and climate archive is the largest in the world, according to the NOAA.

Right now, none of the archived data can be accessed, according to the NOAA. Paper and film records kept at NCEI are safe.

The disruption will delay several key reports that keep the public up to date on climate benchmarks, including monthly reports on the state of the U.S. climate and the NOAA’s global climate reports.

Hurricane Helene's rainfall extremes were boosted by human-caused climate change, early attribution studies show.

Rebecca Cohen

Dolly Parton announced a $1 million donation to the Mountain Ways Foundation, a nonprofit that has dedicated its resources to Helene victims, at an afternoon event at a Walmart in Newport, Tennessee.

Her businesses — including Dollywood Parks & Resorts, The Dollywood Foundation, Dolly Parton's Stampede and Pirates Voyage — are matching that with an additional $1 million donation to Mountain Ways.

At the same event, Walmart U.S. President and CEO John Furner said the company would donate $10 million to hurricane relief efforts across the affected states.

"These are special people here; they're my people," Parton said in a statement. "I feel like all people are my people, but everyone here grew up in the mountains just like I did so of course I have a close connection to them."

The country superstar said she "can't stand to see anyone hurting, so I wanted to do what I could to help after these terrible floods. I hope we can all be a little bit of light in the world for our friends, our neighbors — even strangers — during this dark time they are experiencing."

Dollywood has already been providing relief for victims in Tennessee — the company partnered with Coca-Cola to donate a semitruck full of water to Cocke County, Tennessee, and also donated 60,000 reusable masks, 30,000 disposable protective garments and 2.5 million disposable masks to be used in cleanup efforts, the release said. It also donated disposable paper ware and utensils for meals Mountain Ways is distributing.

Dollywood theme park will also be designated as a drop-off location for donations to help with the cleanup of East Tennessee.

Gabriella Rudy

FEMA said that misinformation about its response to Hurricane Helene — some of which is being promoted by former President Donald Trump — is "having a negative impact on our ability to help people."

The agency today pushed back on claims that it only provides a single payment of $750 to disaster survivors through its Serious Needs Assistance program, saying that rumor is false.

"Serious Needs Assistance was designed to reach people as quickly as possible, so they can purchase essential items while we continue to process their disaster application and determine what other assistance they may be eligible for," FEMA Director of Public Affairs Jaclyn Rothenberg said in a statement.

Those in declared disaster areas can apply for assistance by calling 800-621-3362, visiting online at disasterassistance.gov or downloading the FEMA app.

Gabriella Rudy

Nearly 700,000 homes and businesses are dealing with power outages.

South Carolina has more than 260,000 customers in the dark, and North Carolina trails closely behind with over 215,000 customers without power.

In Georgia, more than 190,000 homes and businesses are experiencing outages. Virginia has just more than 10,000 customers in the dark.

CNBC

DETROIT — General Motors has temporarily halted vehicle production at two U.S. factories that assemble highly profitable large pickups and SUVs due to impacts to suppliers caused by Hurricane Helene.

The automaker canceled shifts yesterday and today at a plant in Flint, Michigan, that produces its heavy-duty trucks as well as at Arlington Assembly in Texas, which produces full-size SUVs such as the Chevrolet Tahoe, Cadillac Escalade and GMC Yukon.

A GM spokeswoman declined to speculate on when the plants were expected to restart production. A message yesterday to workers in Arlington viewed by CNBC said production at that plant was expected to resume Monday.

“We are working with these suppliers to resume operations as quickly and safely as possible for their employees and communities, as we seek to minimize impacts on our plants,” GM said in an emailed statement.

Read the full story here.

NBC News

Residents cleaning up the mud and debris left by Hurricane Helene face a number of health risks. In addition to the lack of clean water, toxic contamination and dangerous animals are also concerns.

Ash Reynolds

North Carolina and South Carolina have counted the most Helene-related deaths as of Friday.

Laura Strickler

Peter Alexander

Kyla Guilfoil

False claims that federal emergency disaster money was given to migrants in the U.S. illegally have spread quickly in recent days, boosted by former President Donald Trump and some of his most high-profile supporters.

Trump repeated one of the more extreme baseless allegations during a rally Thursday in Saginaw, Michigan, saying that the money had been stolen.

“They stole the FEMA money, just like they stole it from a bank, so they could give it to their illegal immigrants that they want to have vote for them this season,” Trump said.

Trump and his allies appear to be conflating two different funds. FEMA has dedicated disaster relief money that cannot be used for other purposes. Separately, it was tasked by Congress in 2022 with disseminating money from Customs and Border Protection to help communities that received influxes of migrants.

Read the full story here.

NBC News

As supplies begin to pour into a disaster relief center set up inside Bristol Motor Speedway, National Guard helicopters are flying nonstop missions to deliver them to Tennessee communities isolated by Hurricane Helene.

Michelle Acevedo

Marlene Lenthang

FBI Atlanta warned the public of disaster scams, saying there have been “reports of scammers claiming to work for contractors and insurance companies targeting Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.”

Some scammers may go door to door to target residents in affected areas, or call, text or email with promises of aid. Real government workers are required to carry official identification and show it if requested. Residents can call the agency directly to confirm a worker’s identity.

FEMA is reminding the public that government disaster assistance agencies do not ask for financial information, and there is no fee required to apply for assistance. Those with internet access can go to Fema.gov to apply for assistance directly.

Any suspected fraudulent activity should be reported to the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline at (866) 720-5721.

Sarah Dean

Marlene Lenthang

White House spokesman Andrew Bates pushed back on what he called “lies” shared by some Republican figures regarding the Hurricane Helene response.

In a new memo shared today, Bates said: “Some Republican leaders — and their partners in right wing media — are using Hurricane Helene to lie and divide us.”

“Their latest missive: baselessly claiming that FEMA is out of money to respond to Hurricane Helene — because of an existing program that supports cities and towns that are sheltering migrants. ... This is FALSE,” Bates wrote.

“No disaster relief funding at all was used to support migrants housing and services. None. At. All,” he continued.

Trump echoed that false theory at a rally in Michigan yesterday, saying, “They stole the FEMA money, just like they stole it from a bank so they could give it to illegal immigrants that they want to have vote for them this season.”

Bates clarified that funding for communities to support migrants is appropriated by Congress to U.S. Customs and Border Protection and is merely administered by FEMA, and the funding isn’t related to FEMA’s response and recovery efforts.

“FEMA has the funds it needs for immediate response and recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene. In fact, FEMA has been able to provide over $45 million in direct financial assistance to individuals and families affected by Hurricane Helene, including over $17 million to those recovering and rebuilding in North Carolina,” Bates added.

NBC News

The Faulkner family thought they'd lost their beloved dog Athena when their Tennessee home was swept away by Helene floodwaters.

Marlene Lenthang

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said she visited multiple cities in North Carolina yesterday and spoke with survivors in local shelters.

She traveled to Fletcher, Arden, Marion and Spruce Pine.

“What our focus is now is getting those resources from our pods to the people. What do I mean by pods? Points of distribution. How do I get that water and that food from there to you? That’s our focus,” she said in a video posted on X this morning.

Criswell will remain on the ground in North Carolina until recovery stabilizes, under the direction of President Joe Biden.

Marlene Lenthang

Fairview, North Carolina, is still reeling from Helene, with mudslides, homes reduced to debris and roads destroyed, making car travel impossible.

Mitch Kolbe, an artist who lives on a 100-acre sheep farm in Fairview, told NBC affiliate WBIR of Knoxville, Tennessee: “It changed this landscape forever.”

“It’s total chaos. You have mountain slides that have pushed houses into roads, and giant boulders have been pushed off the mountains into roads, into houses,” he explained.

Kolbe said some homes were pushed as far as 200 yards from their foundations.

The National Guard is flying in water and meals to mountain towns including Fairview as recovery efforts slowly continue.

Despite the destruction, Kolbe said he and his community are resilient. “Thank God we’ve got each other, and that will get us through. We’re survivors up here,” Kolbe said.

Marlene Lenthang

Brittany Kubicko

Public Service Electric and Gas, a power and utility company based in New Jersey, announced this morning it has deployed mutual aid crews to Georgia to support post-Helene restoration efforts.

PSE&G deployed 90 lineworkers, safety professionals, mechanics and logistical support personnel to provide mutual aid to Southern Company, a gas and electric utility company based in the Southeast.

Crews are slated to arrive in Georgia this afternoon and are prepared for a two-week deployment, or until they’re no longer needed.

“After Hurricane Sandy, Southern Company was one of the many utilities that came to our aid. Utilities from as far away as New Mexico, Florida and the Province of Quebec provided 4,500 lineworkers and support personnel during our time of need,” PSE&G’s John Latka, senior vice president of electric transmission and distribution, said in a statement. “We know the importance of getting the lights back on for customers and feel fortunate when we are able to assist.”

NBC News

The death toll from Hurricane Helene has risen to more than 200 as hundreds of people are still missing and hopes of finding survivors are fading.

NBC News

Residents of Marshall, N.C., have been “shoveling mud nonstop” after Helene’s floodwaters blanketed the town.

NBC News

North Carolina authorities say they're still searching for hundreds of people reporting missing in the wake of Hurricane Helene. NBC News' Sam Brock reports from Swannanoa, N.C., where access to clean water and restrooms, as well as communication gaps, are among the top issues survivors are facing.

Marlene Lenthang

More than 741,000 customers and businesses remain without power in the Southeast as of 7:30 a.m. ET, according to PowerOutage.Us.

In South Carolina, more than 282,000 are without power, in North Carolina more than 231,000, in Georgia more than 201,000, in Virginia more than 13,000 and in Florida more than 10,000.

Power has slowly been restored in Helene-hit states in the week since the storm blew through, but hundreds of thousands remain in need.

Marissa Parra

Alicia Victoria Lozano

Reporting from Jonesborough, Tenn.

Vicki Hunter couldn’t make sense of the giant trees rushing toward the front porch of her one-story home.

She watched them, stunned, as floodwaters raged across her pasture and began to inundate the property. She yelled to her husband, Jerry, to get dressed in case they needed to evacuate.

By the time he did, their cars were flooded and they could not flee. Rescue crews in boats tried to reach the house but were unsuccessful.

“One minute I’m baking cookies; in the next minute, I’m fighting for my life and my whole life has been turned upside down,” she said yesterday.

Read the full story here.

NBC News

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park in Kentucky continues to assess the damage from Helene more than a week after the storm.

The park’s visitor center, some roads and the Object Lesson Road, Wilderness Road, Tri-State and Daniel Boone trails have reopened but other closures remain, the park said in an update yesterday.

"Hiking on any other trail in the park is not recommended. Hundreds of trees have fallen on trails in the park, and additional trees are still at risk of falling," it said. "Trail washouts, damaged bridges, and other, unpredictable hazards are also likely. Park staff and resources are stretched thin and emergency response may be delayed."

Horse and bike trails and all backcountry campsites are closed, and guided tours to Hensley Settlement have been suspended, it said.

There were no injuries from the storm at the 24,000-acre park, which is near where the borders of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia meet, and "preserves the historic Cumberland Gap, a key point for crossing the Appalachians that became known as the First Gateway to the West," it said.

Additional information about conditions is on the park website.

Corky Siemaszko

Like clockwork, one private plane after another taxied yesterday down the runway of a small regional airport in North Carolina to a hangar, where volunteers loaded them up with food, water, medicine and other badly needed basics.

Thirty or so minutes later, those planes were back in the sky and ferrying supplies from Concord-Padgett Regional Airport to communities across the flooded region, many of them almost completely cut off from the world by Hurricane Helene.

“Yesterday, we were moving so fast we were beating the turnaround times at O’Hare,” coordinator Shaun Carroll said, referring to Chicago O’Hare International Airport. “We were moving.”

Carroll is a member of Operation Airdrop, a relief organization founded after Hurricane Harvey in 2017 that enlists pilots with private planes and helicopters to deliver supplies to people stranded in isolated areas by natural disasters.

Read the full story here.

Berkeley Lovelace Jr.

Mustafa Fattah

Hospitals across the U.S. are taking steps to conserve their supplies of IV fluids after Hurricane Helene struck a critical manufacturing plant belonging to the country’s biggest supplier.

Baxter International, a medical technology company responsible for making IV fluids for most U.S. hospitals, said Sunday that it would temporarily close production at its North Cove, North Carolina-based facility because of flooding from Helene, raising concerns about a potential nationwide shortage.

IV fluids are used to deliver drugs or water with electrolytes directly into a patient’s bloodstream. They’re also critical for surgery, when a person is unable to eat or drink, to keep them hydrated. Baxter also makes specialty fluids, such as peritoneal dialysis fluid, which helps patients with kidney failure filter waste from their blood, as well as irrigation fluids, used during procedures to clean or flush wounds.

Read the full story here.

NBC News

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said in an interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt that some communities are still isolated a week after Hurricane Helene and need basic supplies.

Alexandra Chaidez

Reporting from Erwin, Tenn.

Families of missing and dead Impact Plastics employees held a vigil yesterday to honor loved ones who died in last week’s catastrophic flooding at the plastics factory in Erwin, Tennessee.

At least four deaths from the factory have been confirmed.

At the vigil, the crowd announced each of the victims’ names as their families lit candles in remembrance, some breaking down in sobs as they knelt before their photos.

Guadalupe Hernandez Corona, the sister of one of the dead workers, Monica Hernandez, tearfully paid tribute to her sister.

“I just want each one of you to remember our families with a smile and remember the good memories you have with them,” Hernandez Corona told vigil attendees. “My sister was a hard worker, a fighter and was always looking out for everyone else.”

She also urged people to work together to find those still missing from the factory.

“Together they went to work, and together they must return,” she said.

Rosa Andrade Reynoso is one of the workers still missing. Anabel Andrade, a relative, said after the vigil that she has been praying hard for closure and for change.

“What we want from this [is] for things to change, for every workplace to have an evacuation plan for anything ... so that this does not happen again, so families are not left wondering.”