Helene death toll surpasses 100 in North Carolina
As of Wednesday, North Carolina reported 101 fatalities from the storm. Helene has now claimed the lives of 229 people across seven states.
Business owners building tiny homes for Helene storm victims
Andrew Veigel & Charlie Moore, co-owners of Ridgeline Heating and Cooling, is providing vital support to Helene victims in the Lake Lure area of North Carolina. Oct. 23, 2024.
Nearly five weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated several states on the East Coast, the storm's death toll continues to rise.
As of Wednesday, North Carolina reported 101 fatalities from the storm, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS).
Hurricane Helene left much of western North Carolina in shambles. Rain from the storm caused rivers to flood dozens of small towns and cities, causing hundreds of homes and businesses to be buried in mud.
Residents in many parts of the state are still cleaning up, and many have yet to figure out how and when they can start rebuilding their destroyed properties.
ASHEVILLE STUDENTS RETURN TO SCHOOL ONE MONTH AFTER HELENE DEVASTATED CITY
Asheville City Schools reopen one month after Helene
Dr. Kimberly J. Dechant, the chief of staff of Asheville City Schools, spoke about the part-time reopening of schools in Asheville, when the students will return full-time, the availability of clean freshwater in the school and the Teddy Bear Project the students participated in. Oct. 29, 2024.
The majority of North Carolina's reported deaths come from Buncombe County, the home of Asheville, and other badly hit cities like Swannanoa and Black Mountain. The county is reporting 43 deaths due to the storm.
On Oct. 22, the county announced a discrepancy in the reported death toll and dropped the number from 72 to 42. The county said a combination of things led to the discrepancy, including a lack of communication from power and cellphone tower outages and updates on causes of death.
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The NCDHHS death breakdown is as follows:
- Ashe County: 1
- Avery County: 5
- Buncombe County: 43
- Burke County: 1
- Catawba County: 1
- Cleveland County: 2
- Gaston County: 1
- Haywood County: 5
- Henderson County: 9
- Macon County: 2
- Madison County: 4
- McDowell County: 1
- Mecklenburg County: 3
- Mitchell County: 2
- Polk County: 1
- Rowan County: 1
- Rutherford County: 4
- Wake County: 1
- Watauga County: 2
- Wilkes County: 1
- Yadkin County: 1
- Yancey County: 10
In total, Helene has claimed the lives of 229 people across seven states.