Emergency officials confirmed that “multiple” people died in flooding or landslides caused by Hurricane Helene, and search and rescue operations continue in Asheville and Buncombe counties, the hardest-hit part of the state. The news came during a news conference with government and law enforcement officials Saturday afternoon.

On Saturday evening, Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement that 10 people had been confirmed dead in North Carolina and that more than 200 had been rescued from floodwaters by helicopter and boat. Cooper’s office said the latest fatality was a man who was driving his truck on a flooded road.

“They are our friends, our neighbors and our loved ones. If you are a praying person, this is the time to pray,” said Winston Parrish, chaplain for the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office says it will try to provide an accurate death toll soon. An unknown number of people are unaccounted for.

As of Saturday evening, the identities of the people who died had not been publicly disclosed. The services say they are trying to contact the next of kin.

“This is a time for us to come together as a community,” Parrish said.

“We are still in a very difficult time… This is not the time for us to process everything… We have to process it one day at a time.”

Cooper said the damage was enormous.

“The catastrophic destruction in western North Carolina is unlike anything we have ever seen,” Cooper said. “Emergency services are working around the clock to coordinate rescue operations and obtain resources to help people meet their most urgent needs while saving lives.”

Cooper said seven hydroelectric plants in western North Carolina are closed and dozens more are damaged or on backup power. Officials are working to supply drinking water, and a boil water advisory is in effect across much of western North Carolina.

I-40 was closed Saturday and part of the highway was flooded near the Tennessee/North Carolina line. I-26 was open south of Asheville and was the only main road in and out of the region. A total of 390 roads, including “dozens of major highways”, remained closed as of Saturday evening. Authorities urged people to avoid all travel, consider all roads closed in the western part of the state and conserve fuel.

Zachary Turner

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WFAE News

“The North Carolina Department of Transportation is prioritizing work to reopen interstate, U.S. and state highways before reaching secondary roads, but the department is also working with utilities and local emergency officials to find alternative routes and help maintain access to shelters and restoration of power,” Governor Cooper’s office said in a statement.

Cell service in western North Carolina remained unstable, so Cooper urged cell carriers to restore service as soon as possible. Officials say it could take “several days” before repairs are completed or backup systems come online.

UNC Asheville will be closed until Oct. 9, though the campus remains open to students stranded at the facility.

On Saturday, Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder described Helene’s attack – floods, landslides and widespread destruction – on her community as: “Hurricane Katrina in Buncombe County.”

The deputy director of the county’s emergency services said there had been “biblical devastation” in the county.

“We had a biblical flood,” said Ryan Cole of Buncombe County officials.

On Saturday, people continued to flee east into the Charlotte region. Power was out in the Shelby area Saturday afternoon, and people lined up for gas and gathered around the few active public outlets to charge their cellphones. Store shelves were empty as far as parts of Gastonia.

Zachary Turner

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WFAE News