Helene in NC | Cleanup underway in western North Carolina after floods and mudslides; Thousands without power near Asheville

ASHEVILLE, North Carolina – Cleanup efforts will take place Saturday morning in western North Carolina.

More than a foot of rain fell across much of the region in recent days, setting the stage for looming disaster as Helene passed through as a tropical storm on Friday morning. There were severe floods and mudslides.

“This is the worst natural disaster any of us have ever seen in Western North Carolina,” said Buncombe County Emergency Services Deputy Chief Ryan Cole.

VIEW | ‘Terrible’ Helene leaves western NC with severe flooding, all roads declared closed

Many streets and highways will remain closed on Saturday morning.

According to Duke Energy’s outage map, over 100,000 people remain without power in Asheville as of Saturday morning.

ABC11 crews said debris, mud and more were found all over the streets. They barely have any cell signal.

On Friday, crews conducted more than 100 rapid water rescues, about half of them around Asheville. People were emotional after being reunited with their loved ones.

According to Buncombe County Emergency Services Deputy Chief Ryan Cole, first responders were unable to respond to some calls due to washed out roads. This included a mudslide that engulfed four homes and left an unspecified number of people missing.

At least two deaths in NC have been attributed to the storm. It has been confirmed that 43 people have died from Helene’s legacy across the country.

The storm, now a post-tropical cyclone, is expected to hover over the Tennessee Valley through the weekend, the National Storm Center said. Multiple flood and flash flood warnings remain in effect for portions of the southern and central Appalachians. High wind warnings are also issued in parts of Tennessee and Ohio.

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