Screen shot: USA Today
Sept 29. As of 8 pm Saturday, 10 North Carolinians have lost their lives due to Helene, according to Gov. Roy Cooper. Swiftwater and helicopter rescue crews have rescued more than 200 people since Thursday.
North Carolina residents trying to connect with family members may call NC 211 (or 1-888-892-1162 if calling from outside the state) to report missing loved ones. People in the impacted areas can indicate they are safe by checking in on Facebook crisis response or reporting themselves safe through Red Cross Reunification by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Supplying drinkable water is a top priority for emergency crews. Seven water plants in Avery, Burke, Haywood, Jackson, Rutherford, Watauga and Yancey counties are closed, impacting nearly 70,000 households. A total of 17 water plants have reported having no power, and an additional 23 are operating on backup power.
We asked Davidson resident Chris Davis what he saw in Banner Elk. His reply:
[Sunday morning] Inside the Elk River community of Banner Elk, we are stranded. No power, no water. All day Saturday we cut trails through the trees fallen over the roads, in hope small vehicles can move around and we can check on each other.
If we reach the bottom of the mountain, we understand that the bridge over the Elk River is out. We are stranded. But, we do not know how stranded everyone else is.
We need intelligence; status of the outside world. Infrastructure. For instance, it would help to know when roads will be repaired so that help can come.
There are 20 horses at the barn. They probably have water for three days. Horses will drink 10 gallons of water a day. Do the math.
There are elderly people on the mountain. One lady has so many trees to her house we cannot see our way to cut through to check on her.
It seems as if a flood washed out the bottom and a tornado took out everything else.
Some homes have generators. That does not mean people whose generators are running are actually here. I hear them running. It is only a matter of time before fuel runs out.
I am able to connect with you because one neighbor, if he stands in the right place on his deck, has use of a telephone that allowed me to reach my wife.
She connected with my out of town neighbor who has a generator who shared her Wi-Fi password that I can at least come to their house charge batteries and send you this note.
We hear rumors of helicopters coming in to rescue people.
It is probably worse somewhere else. We will continue to try to clear the roads in our community to support one another and be ready for an evacuation.
Chris Davis
Obviously, the Mountain communities will need all the help they can get. Immediately and later.
In the meantime, basic facts matter a lot. We just need to know what the situation is so that we can make rational decisions.
I’m only getting bits and pieces of information from other people such as Newland is flooded and the National Guard is there; mud slides block the Eagles nest community from getting out; the road to Boone is washed out…
—Chris Davis
Emergency supplies are being collected at the Cornelius Police Station today as well as at Payroll Plus, 19300 Statesville Road and will be sent to established distribution sites.
