30 confirmed deaths in Buncombe County due to Helene; there are still no water distribution sites

UPDATE: The confirmed death toll in Buncombe County has increased to 30, the sheriff announced at a briefing on September 29 at 4 p.m.

ASHEVILLE – Ten people have been confirmed dead in Buncombe County as a result of Tropical Storm Helene, the sheriff said at a briefing Sept. 29 at 10 a.m.

Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller said the county is not releasing the names of the people at this time.

“Without greater access to the telephone and the Internet, we cannot share these names without being absolutely certain that we have provided this information to their loved ones,” Miller said. “Our hearts are broken by this news and we ask that people give our community space and time to mourn this incredible loss.”

Miller said that “as these numbers increase, we will provide this information as quickly as possible.”

Tropical Storm Helene barreled through Asheville on September 27, leaving in its wake “biblical devastation” that included historic flooding, massive power outages, burst dams and reservoirs, and countless downed trees. Widespread disruptions to cell service and impassable roads have left people cut off, disconnected or trapped in their homes.

Entire areas of the city were under water. Rivers overflowed their banks at record levels. At least 5,000 emergency calls have been made to 911 since the storms began. The National Weather Service said rainfall amounts ranging from 6 to 22 inches were expected in the Asheville area. At Mount Mitchell State Park – in Yancey County, about 55 miles northeast of Asheville – which has the highest peak east of the Mississippi River at 7,000 feet, gusts reached 100 mph.

According to a release from Governor Roy Cooper’s office, as of 8 p.m. on September 28, 10 North Carolinians had died from Helene. The last one was a man who was driving his truck on a flooded road. Miller said he didn’t know how many Buncombe deaths were included in the state’s total.

The release said utility services and connectivity would be restored in some areas, but it could take several days for services to be fully restored.

In Buncombe County, on the morning of September 29, the Duke outage map showed that 94,685 people were without power.

How many missing persons reports has the county received?

The Registry of Deeds has developed an online form to help people find and contact Buncombe County residents. Anyone in or outside Buncombe County can use this tool to report someone who may be missing or cannot be contacted.

As of the morning of September 29, Drew Reisinger’s Office of the Registrar of Activities reported that it had received more than 6,000 applications from family members seeking a health check. 3,900 of these people live in Buncombe County and the rest live in other parts of western North Carolina.

The family assistance form can be found at. You can also call 828-820-2761.

The information will be reviewed by the Buncombe Search Team, who will create and maintain a list of people who are currently unavailable and will work with the Buncombe County Emergency Operations Center to locate the information.

Are there water distribution points?

County Manager Avril Pinder said they are still working to set up food and water distribution sites. None are currently available.

Pinder said the sites’ locations will be shared “as soon as they are available.” She said transportation is the “biggest obstacle.”

“We know that there are individual organizations that are providing support, we don’t have a list of them, but we know that for Buncombe County to get through this, we’re all going to have to support each other and fill those gaps,” Pinder said.

She said they received help from the state. Helicopters dropped resources in “most affected areas.”

Earlier in the conversation, during an update from Swannanoa Fire Chief Anthony Penland, he said he heard a helicopter approaching.

Of parts of old U.S. Highway 70, he said simply, “It’s gone.”

“We wanted to do it today,” Pinder said of distribution locations in the county.

“We intend to provide water service if you are patient with us and one more day. “I hate to say this because I know how desperately there is a water shortage in our community, but we are making every effort to get it to the mountains.”

Pinder admitted the schedule was a “moving target” and “very frustrating.” They worked with the state emergency management to search for water. She said the county is identifying locations and staff who will work them once resources arrive.

“As soon as we have an estimated time for water or food to arrive, we will post that information,” Pinder said.

When asked why he didn’t have other water sources on hand, Pinder replied that they did, but they were “across the river in Swannanoa, so it was cut off for us as well.”

President Joseph R. Biden Jr., according to a Sept. 28 White House press release. declared that a major disaster had occurred in the state of North Carolina. The president’s action makes federal funds available to affected people in Buncombe County and beyond.

This story will be updated.

More: Live updates on flooding in Asheville, North Carolina: ‘Biblical devastation’ as Biden declares major disaster

More: Flooding in Asheville, North Carolina: Multiple deaths reported in Buncombe County, officials say; “Biblical Devastation”

Sarah Honosky is a city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email [email protected] or tweet @slhonosky. Please support local, daily journalism by subscribing to Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on the Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville NC Floods: 30 people die in Buncombe County at the hands of Helene