Effects of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina

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Hurricane Helene
Buncombe County North Carolina - damage after Hurricane Helene floods.jpg
US-70; Burke County; 9.27.jpg
Devastating flooding in Buncombe County after Hurricane Helene (top) and high floodwater in Burke County.
Flooding on U.S. Route 64, facing west, in Henderson County on September 27, 2024. 2024-09-27-us-64-henderson-county.jpg
Flooding on U.S. Route 64, facing west, in Henderson County on September 27, 2024.

Of the 241 people reported victims of Hurricane Helene in the United States, 119 people were in North Carolina, surpassing the state record of 80 deaths recorded in a 1916 flood. [11] [40] The reported count of missing people was under 600 people by September 29, according to a Register of Deeds update. [80] As of April 2025, the death toll reported by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services had been reduced to 107. [2]

A group of 34 students and chaperones from Girard College were located by rescuers after their week long partnership with the North Carolina Outward Bound School was cut short by the storm. [81]

North Carolina Sheriff's Association reported that two officers were killed by flood waters during rescue operations. [80] Pack mules were utilized to access areas inaccessible by other means in North Carolina. [82] Operation AirDrop and the Carolina Emergency Response Team helped deploy volunteer private helicopter pilots to assist in rescue efforts. [83] [84]

Henderson County issued a public statement urging tourists outside of the region to not come to visit the area, while instructing them to bring essential toiletries, water, and non-perishable food if they still decided to visit in order to aid those in need. [80]

Mayor of Canton Zeb Smathers referred to recovery efforts as being for a "21st century storm with 20th century technology” due to telecommunication and power outages forcing first responders to use pack mules and handwritten notes for communication and delivery. [40] Black Mountain residents resorted to using makeshift message boards to list missing residents and humanitarian aid details. [85]

One estimate of the number of damaged homes statewide was 73,700, with 9,234 of those in Buncombe County. [86] The state Office of Management and Budget said "upward of 121,000 homes" and estimated that as of January 2025 12,000 were still displaced. [87]

Animals

Animals were ferried from North Carolina shelters to other shelters in Louisiana, Virginia, Washington D.C, Mississippi and other locations as many of the shelters in the area were damaged or completely destroyed. [88] [89] [90] Specific search and rescue teams were deployed to search for missing animals such as horses, dogs, cats, and guinea pigs. [91] Workers and rescuers found that the animals at the Western North Carolina Nature Center were unharmed and the majority of the damage was to surrounding trees and fencing. [92]

Flooding in western North Carolina has caused many yellow jackets, bees, and other insects in underground nests to be disrupted causing many of them to swarm in and around areas where residents are attempting to recover. The resulting insect stings has caused a reported surge in Benadryl and epinephrine injectors through hospitals, emergency medical officers and doctors. [93]

45,000 chickens died in one North Carolina facility alone as a result of Helene. [94] Damage to poultry facilities in North Carolina and Georgia have raised concerns about manure runoff into water supplies. [94] North Carolina is a major supplier of poultry to the United States, and the storm is expected to have an impact on the nation's overall poultry supply. [94]

Effect on 2024 elections

Prior to the storm, election officials had already mailed out more than 200,000 absentee ballots, including about 39,728 the day the storm hit to the 25 western counties that were part of the federal major disaster declaration for the storm. Only about 1,499 of those ballots had been returned before the storm hit. [95]

The North Carolina State Board of Elections reported that at least ten election offices were closed as a result of flooding, causing difficulties in voter registration by the October 11 deadline and possible prevention of early in-person voting in affected regions, beginning October 17. The state board expressed that its officials were attempting to reopen impacted election offices in order to process new voter registrations and absentee ballot requests before their deadlines pass. [11]

Healthcare

Physician and Obama administration worker Dr. Kavita Patel described healthcare in the affected regions as being in "Third World conditions" due to supply shortages and power outages hindering care, reporting that several doctors in the region resorted to using Amazon Wishlist products such as water-sanitizing tablets to make water drinkable. 1,200 North Carolina Department of Adult Correction inmates were relocated due to power and water shortages. [11]

In addition, a Baxter International manufacturing plant in Marion was closed as a result of the storm's impact, which analysts predicted could lead to significant disruptions to national medical supply chains, causing shortages of medications, dialysis solutions, and IV fluids nationwide. [40]

In Buncombe County, a survey to assess long-term public health needs after Helene was scheduled to begin in April 2025, but was cancelled due to layoffs at U.S. federal health agencies. [96] [97]

Power and utility outages

On October 1, Governor of North Carolina Roy Cooper reported that 460,000 North Carolinians suffered from power outages. Of these, over 100,000 people across Buncombe County suffered from power outages lasting into October 1. These, in addition to destroyed, damaged, and blocked bridges, destruction of utilities such as power and water, and the “complete infrastructural failure” across several settlements, significantly complicated rescue efforts and aid delivery. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein received over seventy complaints about the price gouging of groceries and hotel rooms, prompting him to compel businesses to provide support to those in need. [80] Only one school out of 53 in Buncombe county had running water, forcing their closures. [40]

Duke Energy reported that the degree of destruction to power infrastructure would require "significant replacement". [80] On October 2, Duke Energy reported that 370 substations in western North Carolina were damaged or destroyed by the impacts of Helene, with several having been underwater. [11]

On October 2, Verizon reported that while it had recovered cell coverage to 60% of all regions affected by Helene, that western North Carolina's thick forests, mountainous terrain, destroyed or blocked roads, and ongoing flooding made fixing cell towers in the region difficult, causing them to resort to use drones to provide temporary coverage. T-Mobile also noted difficulties in restoring coverage in North Carolina due to access challenges, resorting to distributing Wi-Fi connectivity stations and mobile generators to the region. Starlink announced that its satellite internet service would be "free" for all regions impacted by Helene for 30 days; Starlink equipment was required use the service, which was sold for approximately $349 plus shipping, and could not be delivered to many areas due to the road damage. [98]

Following the storm, the webcam and weather station atop Mount Mitchell ceased transmitting data since the hurricane. [99]

Road damage

The North Carolina Department of Transportation reported that 400 roads in western North Carolina, including hundreds of state and national routes, were closed or deemed impassable due to landslides, flooding, and destroyed bridges caused by Helene. Westbound I-40 and I-26 were initially closed, and were later reopened only for evacuations. Several roads were in areas that were either difficult to reach due to Appalachia's mountainous terrain or from closed roads preventing other roads from being accessed, making it difficult to assess every road that was damaged and resulted in an estimate of several months time for some roads to be fixed. The department declared that all roads in western North Carolina should be considered closed to non-residents who were not providing aid. Florida's Department of Transportation sent its own personnel and portable bridges to aid in road assessment and reconstruction. [100]

Parts of the eastbound I-40 section in the Pigeon River Gorge collapsed into the Pigeon River due to its swelling and rapid flow, and this section was considered by the department to be the most challenging section of road to fix. [100] The road reopened March 1 with one lane in each direction and a 35 MPH speed limit. [101] The Blue Ridge Parkway was indefinitely closed due to damage between mileposts 217 to 469 – the entirety of the North Carolina segment. [102] As of February 12, 2025, 310 miles of the parkway had reopened. The estimated repair cost was between $1 and $2 billion, and some work was expected to take two to three years. [103]

The estimated cost to repair all damaged roads in Western North Carolina was $5 billion, $500 million of that for U.S. Route 19W [104] and $1 billion for I-40. [105]

Economy and tourism

As of October 3, much of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was open. [106]

On October 3, Gov. Roy Cooper told the Asheville Citizen-Times that only those providing help should travel to Western North Carolina. This was a problem for an area dependent on tourists coming to see fall leaves, but the priority, Cooper said, was "meeting people's immediate needs, saving lives". [107] Visit North Carolina warned people not to come because of power and water outages, shortages of food and gas, and closed roads. [107] Messages such as "It's too dangerous to travel to Haywood County" were necessary in the early days after the storm, but much of Waynesville and Maggie Valley were ready for tourists two weeks later and tried to change the message. Opponents of the change pointed out that many areas were not back to normal. Businesses, however, needed tourists to spend during the fall season before winter. [108] Another area dependent on tourism was Blowing Rock, which had few effects, but nearly three weeks after the storm, few people visited during what was normally a busy fall leaf season. Despite problems with the Blue Ridge Parkway and other attractions, Blowing Rock was ready for tourists and inviting them to come. [109] While the parkway drew 2 million visitors in October 2023, none of it was open until twenty miles opened in the northern part of the state on October 23. All of the southernmost 57 miles except for a short section near Devil's Courthouse opened October 30. About six more miles near Asheville opened November 1. [110]

In the Asheville area, with tourism representing 20 percent of the economy and contributing $3 billion [111] in 2023, North Carolina Arboretum reopened October 28 and Biltmore Estate started its Christmas season November 2. Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority and Explore Asheville resumed marketing, though VisitNC's Travel Advisory Map put the area under a yellow alert on October 19, meaning visitors should make sure they can get to where they want to go. One forecast cited by the authority estimated lodging taxes would be down 40 percent or more during the next three months. And the tourism industry in Asheville had already lost its busiest month. [112] The authority predicted that for the last quarter of 2024, tourism would be down 70 percent, with the predicted revenue loss $584 million. [111] Lodging numbers for the county were down 74 percent in October compared to the previous year, and 57 percent in November. [113]

Employment rates in counties effected by Helene dropped significantly in the storm's aftermath. [114] Immediately after Helene, Buncombe County jumped from 2.5 percent, the state's lowest, to 10.4 percent. Mitchell County had the state's highest rate in November at 9.1 percent, and in December at 7.3 percent. Buncombe and Madison Counties followed with 6 percent. [115]

Long-term impacts

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reported that only 0.8 percent of households in disaster-declared counties in North Carolina held FEMA flood insurance policies. Environmental and insurance experts stated that the lack of flooding insurance would significantly slow the rebuilding and repairing of flood-damaged properties, as well as the recovery of entire communities. Lack of flooding insurance can also force many of the impacted to deplete their savings or abandon their homes entirely. Experts stated that low-income communities would suffer the worst due to lacking substantial savings and potentially not qualifying for credit from banks or from Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans. [116] FEMA plans to update flood maps in 2026 after having been restricted by Congress to only look at past events for determining which properties are required to get flood insurance. Many communities and property owners appeal and contest flood risk findings by FEMA not wanting to make required protections or pay for insurance, leading to maps that underestimate risk. [117] In some places in Western North Carolina impacted by Helene, maps by First Street found roughly 10x the number of properties would have been in a 100-year flood zone category, if FEMA had been allowed to use more comprehensive and modern forecasting. Better maps could have resulted in more insurance coverage and flood prevention measures. [117]

These predictions were partly based on a 2023 study examining the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in 2018, which found that uninsured losses, when coupled with declining property values, caused significant increases in the risk of mortgage default and abandonment of housing. Similar patterns were observed following Hurricane Harvey in 2017. [116]

Response

Governor of North Carolina Roy Cooper stated on October 1 that “The devastation brought by Hurricane Helene is beyond belief” and that, “Communities were wiped off the map.” [118] He further reported that over 57,000 people applied for FEMA assistance, and over $1 million had been distributed to residents directly so far. [119] The governor's report stated that as of that morning, more than 700 North Carolina National Guard soldiers and airmen had been activated, with 275 vehicles and 15 aircraft, to deliver supplies and conduct search and rescue operations. More than 400 people had been rescued by NC National Guard soldiers, and search and rescue teams from other states as well as federal teams had facilitated additional rescues and evacuations. [120]

After several days, Gov. Cooper commended the first responders and healthcare workers who traveled to devastated areas to assist those in need, especially since many were departing from their own homes which had been severely impacted by the storm, but he never addressed the failures in deploying personnel. Director of Emergency Management for North Carolina William Ray instructed people to not use drones in the area due to the potential hazards it could bring to rescue and response operations. [80]

The lieutenant governor of North Carolina Mark Robinson, tweeted on October 1 false claims that United States President Joe Biden had stated that the federal government had "no more supplies" for the state. When asked for proof of the statement, Robinson's office sent over a video clip of Biden on September 29, being asked if there was anymore resources from the federal government for the state. Biden responded, "no...we have pre-planned a significant amount of [resources], even though they hadn’t asked for it yet." [121]

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell was directed by Biden to stay in North Carolina until the region was stabilized, with Biden intending to visit Raleigh. Over 1,200 personnel entered North Carolina, along with ten search and rescue teams. [80] Biden also directed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to send 1,000 active-duty military personnel to the region. [40]

Governor of Florida Ron Desantis sent resources and personnel from Florida to North Carolina to assist with rescue operations. [80]

During the October 1 Vice Presidential debate, Republican J.D. Vance called the hurricane's impact “an unbelievable, unspeakable human tragedy” and stated that both he and Democrat Tim Walz "want as robust and aggressive as a federal response as we can get to save as many lives as possible. And then, of course, afterwards, to help the people in those communities rebuild”. Walz concurred and called the hurricane a "horrific tragedy". [11]

In the weeks following the disaster, the Tryon International Equestrian Center and Resort (Tryon International), in Mill Spring (Polk County), served as a command center and community assembly point - providing food, water, vital supplies, shelter and support to devastated communities in Polk, Rutherford, Henderson and other nearby counties.

On October 25, 2024, Tryon International hosted PHP: People Helping People, a benefit concert headlined by internationally known musician, composer, actor and Tryon, NC native Dr. Samuel Waymon, with The Magic Man Band. Emceed by actress, comedienne and talk radio host Pam Stone, the show featured performances by Champagne Charlie, The Zion Grove AME Zion Church Music Department, Awake in the Dream, Shane Pruitt, The Flatrock Playhouse and the Kenya Cultural Quintet. On February 21, 2025, Waymon's performance of Randy Newman's "Baltimore" (In Four Movements) - recorded live during the benefit show at Tryon International - was released worldwide via the popular music streaming platforms.

Eric Church and Luke Combs put together the "Concert for Carolina" on October 26, 2024, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, which raised over $24 million for hurricane relief. [122]

Throughout the fall of 2024, businesses organized mutual aid efforts following the hurricane, with some companies donating portions of profits to relief and recovery programs. [123] U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator and Trump Administration Cabinet Official Kelly Loeffler visited the region on June 20, 2025, to celebrate the reopening of just one of the many businesses reopenings following the hurricane. During the visit she cited that the SBA had given out over $380 million in loans to the Western North Carolina region. [124]

On January 1, 2025, American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) hosted a special episode of their flagship show, Dynamite: Fight for the Fallen, at Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville. Proceeds from the event were donated to local charities and hurricane relief efforts. [125]

See also

Notes

    References

    1. ↑ Cooper, Governor Roy (December 13, 2024). "Hurricane Helene Recovery - Revised Damage and Needs Assessment". Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM), North Carolina. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Hurricane Helene Storm Related Fatalities | NCDHHS". www.ncdhhs.gov. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
    3. ↑ "North Carolina government calculates Hurricane Helene damages, needs at least $53B". NPR. Associated Press. October 24, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
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    6. ↑ David Roth (May 2, 2007). "Hurricane Andrew – August 23–28, 1992". Tropical Cyclone Point Maxima Rainfall Data. Weather Prediction Center (Report). College Park, Maryland: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
    7. ↑ Grant Goodge (August 1992). "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena with late reports and corrections" (PDF). Storm Data. 34 (8): 31–35, 42, 69–72, 88–89, 93, 123, 146–147, and 161. ISSN   0039-1972. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 1, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
    8. ↑ "Could updated building codes reduce risks from future storms? Some experts say yes". NPR. November 10, 2024.
    9. 1 2 "We're only beginning to understand the historic nature of Helene's flooding". Ars Technica. September 30, 2024. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
    10. 1 2 "Hurricane Helene's extreme rainfall and catastrophic inland flooding". www.climate.gov. November 7, 2024. Archived from the original on November 7, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
    11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Hurricane Helene live updates: Biden directs up to 1,000 soldiers to assist in aid efforts as 176 people dead in storm aftermath". NBC News. October 2, 2024. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
    12. 1 2 3 4 US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "Post Hurricane Helene Report for the Western Carolinas and Northeast Georgia". www.weather.gov. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
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    15. ↑ State Parks Closures Due to Hurricane Helene, Including Monarch Festival Cancellation, NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, September 26, 2024
    16. ↑ "Newfound Gap Road/US 441, visitor centers and other park areas close in preparation for tropical storm impacts". NPS.gov. September 26, 2024. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
    17. 1 2 3 4 Lankford, Ciara (October 8, 2024). "89 verified storm-related deaths in North Carolina following Helene: NCDHHS". Queen City News. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
    18. ↑ US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "Post Tropical Cyclone Reports". www.weather.gov. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
    19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "North Carolina live updates: Death toll rises to at least 115, new state report shows". The Asheville Citizen Times. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
    20. ↑ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s death toll for Buncombe County:
    21. ↑ "Person found in Buncombe County listed as 105th fatality from Helene in North Carolina". BPR. January 30, 2025. Retrieved March 2, 2025.
    22. ↑ Marusak, Joe (September 26, 2024). "Girl, 4, killed in wreck during Hurricane Helene rains, NC State Highway Patrol says". The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
    23. ↑ Hodge, Rex (October 2, 2024). "Haywood County grapples with Hurricane Helene aftermath; 4 confirmed dead". WLOS. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
    24. ↑ Sigmon, Marisa Sardonia and Zola (February 12, 2025). "Hurricane Helene death toll in NC rises to 106 as NCDHHS updates storm-related fatalities". WLOS. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
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    26. 1 2 Moore, Mary Helen; Wagner, Adam (September 27, 2024). "4 critically hurt after tornado associated with Helene hits Eastern NC city". The News & Observer. Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
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    29. ↑ "Connecticut National Guard unit to provide Helene disaster relief in North Carolina". NBC Connecticut. September 27, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
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    31. ↑ Raby, John (September 27, 2024). "A mudslide and floodwaters wash out interstate at the North Carolina-Tennessee state line". AP News. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
    32. ↑ Johnson, Becky (September 28, 2024). "'Complete devastation': Canton ravaged by the worst flood yet". The Mountaineer .
    33. ↑ Greenville - Spartanburg, National Weather Service (September 28, 2024). "Here are the rainfall totals starting at 8 AM EDT Tuesday, September 24th through 8 AM Saturday, September 28th, following Hurricane Helene's departure". X (Twitter) .
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    38. ↑ Faheid, Dalia; Watson, Michelle (September 28, 2024). "Over 50 dead as Helene unleashes life-threatening flooding". CNN. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
    39. 1 2 Various National Weather Service offices (2024). "Damage Assessment Toolkit" (Interactive map and database). DAT. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
    40. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sutton, Joe; Wolfe, Elizabeth; Faheid, Dalia; Gilbert, Mary; Rose, Andy (October 2, 2024). "Relief efforts continue after Hurricane Helene kills at least 180". CNN. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
    41. ↑ Raby, John (September 27, 2024). "Curfew issued in western North Carolina community hit hard by Helene". AP News. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
    42. ↑ Hurricane Helene Recap: Catastrophic Surge, Inland Flooding From Florida To The Appalachians, The Weather Channel, September 27, 2024
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    45. ↑ Tropical Storm Helene: "Flash flood emergency" explained, Axios, September 27, 2024
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    47. ↑ Asheville has been isolated after Helene wrecked roads and knocked out power and cell service AP
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    50. ↑ "'Completely and entirely erased': How Helene swallowed one mountain town". Washington Post. September 29, 2024. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
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    52. ↑ Long, Aarik (September 28, 2024). "New site in the cards for Pisgah stadium?". The Mountaineer.
    53. ↑ Hyatt, Vicki (October 9, 2024). "Mill sale in limbo due to storm: Pactiv Evergreen sues prospective buyer". The Mountaineer.
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    55. ↑ Long, Aarik (September 28, 2024). "Picking up the pieces after flooding swamps livelihoods in Frog Level and Hazelwood". The Mountaineer.
    56. ↑ Ross, Kathy (October 1, 2024). "Flooding in Maggie Valley swamps businesses on creek-side of town, leaves valley without water". The Mountaineer.
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    58. ↑ https://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article293476384.html [ bare URL ]
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    66. 1 2 Quillin, Martha (September 29, 2024). "'There's just nothing left.' Helene wipes out Chimney Rock's Main Street". The News and Observer. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
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    71. ↑ "North Carolina dam overtopped is not expected to fail, officials say". AP News. September 27, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
    72. ↑ WRAL (September 26, 2024). "Helene spurs tornado warnings, brings down trees in Triangle area". WRAL.com. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
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