Buncombe County death toll rises to 40; Biden visits Asheville

(WLOS) — These Hurricane Helene updates are effective for Monday, September 30th.

Western North Carolina continues to recover after the hurricane hit on the night of September 26th to September 27th, bringing torrential rain and hurricane-force winds that downed trees on power lines.

Hundreds of thousands are still without electricity and water. We will continue to provide live updates throughout the day.

6 p.m. – Henderson County

A state of emergency remains in effect in Henderson County and the 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. curfew remains in effect countywide.

Henderson County emergency response teams continue to respond to calls and rescues throughout the county and ask residents to limit travel so that teams can not only respond to emergencies, but Duke Energy crews can also work to restore power.

The county has created an official hub to collect fundraising requests and volunteer sign-ups for local individuals and organizations. Further information can be found on this website.

The Henderson County Transfer Station will remain open October 1 and will accept storm debris at regular rates. They are still working on a free storm debris site that will be available soon.

The county obtains supplies from federal, state and local resources. Further information on sales will follow shortly.

Hendersonville Water & Sewer has made progress in stabilizing key areas of the water distribution system. Crews have been working to restore water service to the east side of the county.

All water customers remain subject to a system pressure warning and are asked to use bottled water or boil water before consuming. Customers will be notified via the City's AlertHVL system using the customer's billing contact information when their system pressure alert is lifted.

Customers with water supplies are encouraged to conserve water.

The Henderson County call center is available for all non-medical information requests. Please call 828-771-6670 or email [email protected]. For emergencies please call 911.

If you are looking for more information, visit this website and click on the “Hurricane Helene Updates” banner.

5:00 p.m. – President Joe Biden will visit Asheville on Wednesday.

President Joe Biden will travel to Asheville, North Carolina, on Wednesday, October 2, to attend a briefing and an aerial survey of storm-ravaged Asheville, the Associated Press reports.

4 P.M. – Buncombe County confirmed 40 storm-related deaths in a news conference.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY:

Buncombe County officials report the death toll from Hurricane Helene in the county has increased from 35 to 40.

Officials also reported that power was partially restored, but 90,000 people in Buncombe County remained without power.

Damage to water systems across the county is “catastrophic” and “severe,” but the water department and public works are continually working to restore water service. It was also confirmed that there was no evidence that the dam at Bee Tree had been damaged. The Mills River Water Treatment Plant is operating but at reduced capacity.

Officials say there is currently no exact timeline for water restoration, but officials estimate it could potentially take weeks. Depending on the extent of damage to water systems, maintenance will begin slowly and occur sooner in some areas than others.

WOODFIN:

Officials confirmed that everyone in Woodfin now has access to a road and there are reportedly no people trapped there yet. Officials confirmed there was one death in Woodfin: a woman who died from a falling tree.

WEAVERVILLE:

Officials say some water service will be restored this week and that a boil water advisory will go into effect and that all water conservation is recommended.

Officials say a new update will be released on Monday, October 1st at 10:00 a.m

3:30 p.m. – Governor Cooper speaks about the catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.

Gov. Roy Cooper traveled to western North Carolina to survey the destruction left by Hurricane Helene.

Cooper's full remarks at the media briefing and more information can be found here Here.

2:50 p.m. – Four confirmed deaths from flooding in Haywood County

Haywood County provided an update on recovery efforts this afternoon and reported that there have been four confirmed deaths from flooding.

Haywood County Sheriff Bill Wilkie said next of kin have been notified.

Wilkie said the sheriff's office will conduct wellness checks and people can call the following number: 888-892-1162.

He also said the county's curfew remains in effect from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m

2:45 p.m. – Boil water advisory lifted in Boone

City staff collected multiple water samples for testing from many locations throughout our water system, all of which revealed little to no contamination. At 2:30pm today the boil water warning was lifted. It is safe to use water directly from our system for human use.

10:45 a.m. – Buncombe County's death toll rises to 35

Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller reports that the death toll from Hurricane Helene in Buncombe County has increased from 30 to 35.

Miller made the announcement during Buncombe County officials' 10 a.m. press conference

Miller also said there were reports of looting at stores and fights at gas stations.

Henderson County reported in a press conference on September 29 that there were five deaths related to Hurricane Helene.

8 a.m. – Asheville Regional Airport provides updates on air travel

Flights are slowly returning to normal, according to a press release from Asheville Regional Airport.

The airport provided News 13 with the following updates this morning:

Commercial air traffic will resume. Two American Airlines flights landed this morning.

Delta and United are also resuming some flights this morning.

We are working to get information about Allegiant and Sun Country and will post when we have news to share.

PLEASE NOTE: Flight status is subject to change, especially during these uncertain times. Check with your airline about the status of your flight before coming to the airport.

IMPORTANT: We were unable to update our website. The flight information on the airport website is incorrect.

We had questions about vehicles in our parking lots. Great news – none of the properties are flooded and the cars are fine. For those who were unable to pick up their car due to the storm: Stay safe and pick up your car when you are able. The airport has waived the additional fees that would have been incurred for the days during the storm and this recovery week.

We are expecting more relief flights today, which gives us a lot of hope.

5 a.m. – A Macon County sheriff's deputy was reportedly killed and identified in the Helene floodwaters

On September 29th at 9 p.m., the Macon County Sheriff's Office made an emotional post on Facebook about one of their colleagues who died in the floods of Hurricane Helene.

“This is one of the hardest releases we’ve ever had to make,” the post reads.

The deputy reportedly died after his truck became submerged. According to the post, witnesses saw the truck sink in the river on Fulton Road. The sheriff's office reported that the body was recovered and that it was that of Deputy Jim Lau, a former deputy with the Volusia Sheriff's Office in DeLand, Florida.

The Macon County Sheriff's Office statement said the first 911 call came in at 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 27.

“It soon became apparent that one of our courthouse security officers, Jim Lau, had not returned to work from lunch and his truck matched the description of the truck seen in the river. A search operation was launched by several emergency services in the afternoon. “A foot search, a drone search and several rapid water rescue teams were called in,” the post says.

The post said the search was put on hold at sunset and then resumed on the morning of September 29th.

“Jim’s body was found and recovered in the river shortly after the search began,” the post said.

The Macon County Sheriff's Office said the North Carolina State Highway Patrol is the investigating agency for this incident and it is an ongoing investigation.

“Jim was well-liked and respected in our department. He was known as a hard-working and reliable worker and stepped in wherever help was needed. His absence will be keenly felt in our agency,” the post reads. “We ask for prayers for this family and their loved ones, and we ask for prayers for our department. Continue to pray for Western North Carolina as a whole; the tragedy surrounding our mountain communities is unimaginable.”

5:30 a.m. – Buncombe County Sheriff's Office warns of Hurricane Helene scams

The Buncombe County Sheriff's Office sent out a press release warning residents about scammers who may try to scam residents out of their money when donating

“We want to warn everyone about scammers who may try to take advantage of your generosity,” the post reads. “In the coming days, scammers will likely make contact in a variety of ways claiming to be accepting donations for disaster relief. While many asking for donations have good and honest intentions, others may just be after your money.” If you receive a call, text or email asking for donations to help those affected by the disaster, make sure you verify the source before sharing your financial information.”

The sheriff's office said it will never solicit payments or donations over the phone.

Check back here for live updates throughout the day.