Seven North Carolinians remain unaccounted for or missing and 101 in the state are dead from Hurricane Helene, which has claimed the lives of 229 across seven states.
As Friday dawned, the sixth week of recovery began in the mountains where the storm dissipated and caused fatal currents to rush through towns and villages. Thirty-four lost their lives to drowning, 23 more in landslides.
Justin Gainey, in an email to The Center Square, confirmed the number unaccounted for or missing. He’s the communications director for North Carolina Emergency Management.
In addition to the 101 in North Carolina, there were 49 killed in South Carolina, 34 in Georgia, 25 in Florida, 17 in Tennessee, two in Virginia and one in Indiana. Numbers were confirmed by The Center Square based on information supplied by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services; South Carolina Department of Public Safety; Georgia Emergency Management Agency; Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Tennessee Emergency Management Agency; Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin; and the Gibson County Sheriff’s Office in Indiana.
Helene is the fourth most deadly hurricane from the Atlantic Basin in the last three-quarters of a century. Only Katrina (2005, deaths 1,392), Audrey (1957, deaths 416) and Camille (1969, deaths 256) killed more people.
Helene was one of the three hurricanes to land in Florida over a span of 66 days, and subsequently generated damage across the South.
Debby made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane near Steinhatchee, Fla, on Aug. 5, Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Dekle Beach, Fla., on Sept. 26, and Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane near Siesta Key, Fla., on Oct. 9.
Helene dissipated over the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, dumping more than 30 inches of rain in multiple places. Flooding was catastrophic, arguably the worst storm for North Carolina since Hurricanes Floyd in 1999 and Hazel in 1954 – the latter the only Category 4 hurricane to make landfall on state shores, the former causing a once in 500 years flood.
According to PowerOutage.us early in the afternoon, the total without power in Yancey County is 880, down more than 100 from a day earlier, and about 800 from the beginning of the week. Four other counties have at least 100 customers without power.
At the height of the storm the last weekend of September, more than 1 million lost power.
According to DriveNC.org on Friday, the total road closures because of Helene is 300. The number of secondary roads was trimmed by three from a day earlier to 249. Also with road closures are one interstate, 22 federal highways and 28 state roads.
