Helene death toll climbs to 30 in Buncombe County, sheriff says
Posted on 09/30/2024
ASHEVILLE - The confirmed death toll in Buncombe County has climbed to 30, the sheriff said at a Sept. 29, 4 p.m. briefing.
That morning, 10 fatalities were reported, with numbers expected to increase. No names were released.
"We are still conducting search operations, and we know that those also may include recovery operations," said Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller.
The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation has sent support to help notify the families and next of kin, he said.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones who are grieving these tremendous losses today," Miller said. "We will continue to update as we continue those search operations and recovery."
County manager Avril Pinder emphasized that Buncombe County is still in a state of emergency and it has been extended "until further notice."
Buncombe County is still reeling from the devastation of Tropical Storm Helene, which swept through Asheville Sept. 27, leaving catastrophic flooding, destruction and widespread power and water outages in its wake.
More:Western North Carolina floods: 10 confirmed deaths in Buncombe County from Helene; still no water distribution sites
While power is back for some Buncombe County customers, the Duke outage map said at 3:45 p.m., Sept. 29, that 94,852 customers are still without.
Helene "severely damaged" the production and distribution of the city's water system, the city has said. Extensive repairs are required to treatment facilities, underground and aboveground water pipes, and to roads that have washed away which are preventing water personnel from accessing parts of the system.
A Sept. 29 release said that, "although providing a precise timeline is impossible, it is important to note that restoring service to the full system could potentially take weeks."
Earlier in the day Henderson County Emergency Management reported that five people were confirmed dead in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene in Henderson County.
This story will be updated.
Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email shonosky@citizentimes.com or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
That morning, 10 fatalities were reported, with numbers expected to increase. No names were released.
"We are still conducting search operations, and we know that those also may include recovery operations," said Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller.
The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation has sent support to help notify the families and next of kin, he said.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones who are grieving these tremendous losses today," Miller said. "We will continue to update as we continue those search operations and recovery."
County manager Avril Pinder emphasized that Buncombe County is still in a state of emergency and it has been extended "until further notice."
Buncombe County is still reeling from the devastation of Tropical Storm Helene, which swept through Asheville Sept. 27, leaving catastrophic flooding, destruction and widespread power and water outages in its wake.
More:Western North Carolina floods: 10 confirmed deaths in Buncombe County from Helene; still no water distribution sites
While power is back for some Buncombe County customers, the Duke outage map said at 3:45 p.m., Sept. 29, that 94,852 customers are still without.
Helene "severely damaged" the production and distribution of the city's water system, the city has said. Extensive repairs are required to treatment facilities, underground and aboveground water pipes, and to roads that have washed away which are preventing water personnel from accessing parts of the system.
A Sept. 29 release said that, "although providing a precise timeline is impossible, it is important to note that restoring service to the full system could potentially take weeks."
Earlier in the day Henderson County Emergency Management reported that five people were confirmed dead in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene in Henderson County.
This story will be updated.
Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email shonosky@citizentimes.com or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
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