10 North Carolinians Dead, Hundreds Rescued from Helene, Gov. Cooper Says

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — (10:00 p.m.) – Western Carolina University (WCU) And UNC Asheville (UNCA) shared updates about campus conditions after Helene.

“Conditions at UNC Asheville are difficult,” Chancellor Kimberly van Noort said in a written statement shared on social media Saturday evening.

Noort said there was significant tree damage and parts of the campus were inaccessible, but everyone was safe.

“At this point there is no cell phone and internet coverage,” Noort said. “Classes will be suspended until October 9th. We are ensuring safety, food, water and comfort for the students remaining on campus.”

WCU said it has also suspended classes due to the ongoing outages and road closures.

A statement posted on WCU’s social media said surrounding communities suffered “significant negative impacts” from the storm. The university said WCU will operate retroactively from Thursday, Sept. 25, through Friday, Oct. 4, under Condition Level 3 (Closed), as defined in its severe weather policy.

“Classes are canceled and all non-mandatory offices are closed,” the statement said. “However, the university’s administration, public safety, dining and residential services continue to operate.”

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(8:00 p.m.) — Gov. Roy Cooper confirms 10 people have died in North Carolina from Helene and crews have rescued more than 200 people since Thursday.

GOV. COOPER CONFIRMS 10 STATEWIDE DEATHS AFTER HELENE; Rescue operations in WNC continue

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(5:30 p.m.) – Tune in at 6 p.m. for a special live streaming show from News 13. Get the latest on Helene’s aftermath and recovery efforts:

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(4:00 p.m.) – The Buncombe County Register of Deeds has developed a web-based form to help people find and contact Buncombe County residents.

District officials announced the form during their 4 p.m. media briefing on Helene’s impact. Since the storm passed on Friday, cell phone reception has been extremely limited, making communication with friends and family difficult.

Anyone attempting to contact a Buncombe County resident should do so CLICK HERE to access the Google Doc and enter your details.

County officials say anyone inside or outside of Buncombe County can use this resource to notify the county of someone they believe is missing or cannot be contacted.

People who need help locating friends and family members who may have been affected by the storm can call 828-820-2761 to reach the Family Assistance Center and leave a voicemail.

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(3:30 p.m.) – Haywood County officials say many roads remain impassable due to debris from Helene and some communities have been cut off by flooding. A list of resources can be found HERE.

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(12 o’clock) – An air rescue is underway for residents in the Lake Lure/Chimney Rock Village area, according to Rutherford County Emergency Management. The emergency management says it has successfully secured several air rescue resources for air transport citizens.

After evacuation, individuals will be taken to RS Central High School where they will receive further assistance.

“Please note that mobile and telephone communications in the region are currently extremely limited. We understand the concern and uncertainty this may cause and politely ask for your patience as these rescue efforts will take time,” the post read in part. “Once we receive the names of those rescued, we will make every effort to reach families and individuals who have inquired about their loved ones. Your understanding and cooperation are greatly appreciated during this challenging time.”

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(10 O `clock) – Buncombe County leaders gave an overview of the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina Saturday morning, and Buncombe County Emergency Services Director Taylor Jones said, “We have had fatalities.”

Jones said officials were not prepared to provide further details about the deaths and how they occurred.

“We are not prepared to release all of this information at this time. We will make a statement at a later date. We need to notify our loved ones first,” Jones said.

LIVE UPDATES: Evacuation orders, FLASH flood emergencies due to Helene

Hurricane Helene raged through western North Carolina overnight Thursday and through the morning Friday, bringing heavy rain and hurricane-force winds that toppled trees on power lines and left most of the region without power. Residents not only lost power, but also internet and cell service.

Jones said the 911 call center received 556 calls Friday and emergency personnel performed 130 water rescues.

“Communication was a big challenge. We need to focus on life-saving emergency calls at this time,” he said.

Jones said many people were on the streets, preventing staff from getting to where they needed to be and also trying to restore power.

LIVE UPDATES: MUCH OF WNC REMAINS IN DARK AS OUTAGES CONTINUE THE DAY AFTER HELENE

“We still have severe flooding. I saw many people near the rivers, even children playing near the rivers. Stay out of the water,” Jones said. “The water is dirty and it’s still dangerous.”

Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller said in the press conference that people need to be patient and let emergency responders do their jobs.

“We are a ‘we’ community and we will come through this stronger than we were before,” he said. “We ask the community to listen to the updates from local authorities. We also ask them to be kind to their neighbors. Help those you can. We will get through this.”

Buncombe County Schools Superintendent Dr. Rob Jackson said the safety of students and staff is paramount. He also announced in the briefing that Buncombe County Schools would remain closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.