Helene in North Carolina live updates: 'Active natural disaster' to last for days, avoid travel, officials say (2024)

Editor's note: This live coverage will be continuously updated.

Helene brought heavy rain and strong winds to North Carolina overnight and into Friday morning after making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Florida.

The storm left thousands without power across the state. Follow along for live updates here.

Video: Asheville River Arts District floods as Tropical Storm Helene passes through

Fletcher hard hit, situation expected to worsen

The town of Fletcher is expected to be one of the most impacted in the region, and Fletcher Mayor Preston Blakely told the Citizen Times that he has not heard of any flooding-related deaths so far.

However, Blakely said flooding along Hendersonville Road to the Howard Gap Road intersection has prevented travel through the area, and there is already widespread flooding throughout the town.

Because the French Broad River is expected to crest at more than 30 feet in Fletcher, town residents were encouraged to self-evacuate on Thursday. When the river crests, estimated at about 8 p.m. on Friday,the flooding is expected to break all prior records in the town of about 8,100 people.

Blakely encouraged residents to stay informed.

"There are certainly damages, certainly flooding at the park, certainly trees down and closed roads," Blakely said.

The closest emergency shelter to Fletcher is at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center, 1301 Fanning Bridge Road.

'Active natural disaster' to last for days, officials warn

Rivers have not crested in Buncombe County, meaning the water is still rising along the Swannanoa River and French Broad River and poses an active threat to residents in those areas, county officials announced in a Friday news release.

Here's when the rivers are expected to crest:

  • Water will crest in Biltmore Village at about 2 p.m. at 27 feet
  • Swannanoa River is expected to crest at 2 p.m. at 27 feet
  • French Broad in Fletcher will crest at 8 p.m. at 30.5 feet
  • French Broad in Asheville will crest at 8 p.m. at 23 feet

Buncombe County officials say they do not expect waters to recede before Sept. 30, and warned residents that "even as rain dissipates, this continues to be an active natural disaster."

They are urging people not to drive at this time.

Residents fill downtown emergency shelter

More than 100 people had evacuated to the City of Asheville’s emergency shelter downtown at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center before noon on Friday.

City workers had been called in to assist and members of Buncombe County’s Community Paramedic initiative set up a station in the lobby to provide medical treatment. Around 11:30 a.m., community paramedics transported one evacuee to Mission Hospital.

Michael Koon, 70, evacuated from ABCCM’s Veteran’s Restoration Quarters, which serves male veterans experiencing homelessness. An Asheville Rapid Transit bus picked up Koon and dozens of other veterans from the housing facility near the Swannanoa River in East Asheville, where Buncombe County officials ordered a mandatory evacuation in the early morning hours of Sept. 27.

More than 200 people were evacuated from the housing facility, according to Tim McElyea, ABCCM’s homeless services director. As of 12:30 p.m. on Friday, the site had not been impacted by flooding and it hadn't sustained any water damage, he told the Citizen Times.

Avoid travel if possible, North Carolina Transportation officials say

Roads are closed across Western North Carolina due to flooding, fallen trees, rockslides and mudslides.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is asking motorists to avoid all travel in Western North Carolina, spokesperson Jen Goodwin said, noting that crews are responding but having difficulties with communication services and ongoing high winds. She suggested that those who have downed trees on NCDOT maintained roads call +1 (877) DOT-4YOU.

Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder said during an emergency news conference Friday that residents should consider "all roads closed."

Haywood County government officials said the same thing.

All lanes of I-40 at miler marker 67, near Old Fort Mountain east of Ridgecrest, are closed due to a rockslide. No injuries were reported. All lanes of I-26 at mile marker 51 in Henderson County are also closed, according to a Buncombe County news release.

All lanes of I-26 are closed south of Asheville between exits 44 and Exit 53 due to flooding. The road is expected to reopen by 2 p.m., according to DriveNC.gov. Goodwin said that many estimates for roads reopening "are subject to change," as crews face rising waters and intermittent cell service. She encouraged residents to listen to local authorities on evacuation protocols.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation's road closures can be monitored live at https://drivenc.gov.

Emergency shelters open

Emergency shelters have been set up for residents who are unable to evacuate in some of North Carolina's hardest hit areas. Shelters are located at the WNC Agriculture Center located at WNC Agricultural Center: 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher and the Harrah's Cherokee Center, 87 Haywood St., Asheville.

There are also Code Purple sheltering available through ABCCM for unhoused residents, and transportation on ART is free to Code Purple shelters.

Residents should bring essential items such as medications, important documents and personal necessities, according to a news release.

Mandatory evacuation orders issued for areas of Buncombe County

In response to an escalating threat from Tropical Storm Helene, Buncombe County officials have issued an immediate and mandatory evacuation order for residents along the Swannanoa River beginning at the North Fork Reservoir, where waters have gone over the spillway. All residents in the following areas are required to evacuate: North Fork Road south to U.S. 70, U.S. 70 west to Old Farm School Road, Old Farm School to Azalea Road, Azalea Road to Swannanoa River Road and Swannanoa River Road to Biltmore Village.

Mandatory evacuation orders were also issued for 105 Balsam Road from the Camp Ridgecrest for Girls south to U.S. 70 in Black Mountain due to the flooding of a lake at the camp.

What to know about river flooding, advisories

NOAA and USGS river gauges show flooding in WNC river basins. The flood stage begins at 9.5 feet, considered minor flooding. Moderate flooding begins at 13 feet and major flooding begins at 18 feet.

French Broad at Asheville- 13.75 feet as of 7:45 a.m. Predicted to peak at 21 feet at 8 p.m.

French Broad at Fletcher- 20.35 feet as of 8:15 a.m. Predicted to peak at a record-breaking 30.5 feet at 8 p.m.

French Broad River near Marshall- 12.21 feet as of 8 a.m. Predicted to peak at 19 feet at 8 p.m.

Swannanoa River at Biltmore- 17.72 feet as of 8:30 a.m. Predicted to peak at 21 feet at 2 p.m.

French Broad River at Rosman(USGS) - 13.38 feet at 8:30 a.m.

Flood advisories are active for the French Broad River at the following locations: Marshall affecting Madison County, near Hot Springs affecting Madison County, at Blantyre affecting Transylvania and Henderson Counties, at Asheville affecting Buncombe County and near Fletcher affecting Henderson and Buncombe Counties. There is also a flood advisory for the Swannanoa River at Biltmore affecting Buncombe County.

Thousands without power across the state

At the height of the storm in N.C., more than 450,000 in the state were without power.

Buncombe County was particularly slammed, with more than 100,000 Duke Energy customers without power as of 8:30 a.m., while there were more than 63,000 Henderson County customers without power. Meanwhile, Haywood EMC reported more than 15,000 members were without power.

Helene in North Carolina live updates: 'Active natural disaster' to last for days, avoid travel, officials say (2024)
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