Hurricane Helene: More than 90 reported dead in North Carolina, authorities can’t yet confirm how many missing

Authorities successful North Carolina connected Thursday confirmed astatine slightest 91 storm-related fatalities from Hurricane Helene but inactive could not relationship for the fig of those who stay missing oregon unaccounted for. 

Fatalities were reported crossed 20 counties, according to a Thursday day update from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS).

The immense bulk of those fatalities were reported successful Buncombe, with 42 deaths, followed by Yancey and Henderson, astatine 10 and 7, respectively. 

Debris from homes flooded successful Hurricane Helene is piled curbside arsenic Hurricane Milton approaches connected Tuesday, Oct. 8, successful Port Richey, Fla.  (AP/Mike Carlson)

NCDHSS told Fox News Digital that these fatalities were confirmed by the North Carolina Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME). 

NCDHSS said determination are nary missing persons numbers astatine this clip due to the fact that determination are antithetic sources of wherever missing persons and payment cheque requests were reported during the storm. 

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The North Carolina Department of Public Safety told Fox News Digital that efforts are underway to accumulate those numbers. 

Workers, assemblage members, and concern owners cleanable up debris successful the aftermath of Hurricane Helene successful Marshall, North Carolina connected Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Justin J. Graney, Chief of External Affairs and Communications for North Carolina Emergency Management, told Fox News Digital determination are "wide country searches taking spot since [Hurricane Helen] took place." 

"This includes grid searches, conveyance searches, damaged operation searches, and searches astir areas wherever debris person collected. Hundreds of responders person conducted said searches," Graney said. 

Graney explained that section entities instrumentality accusation reported to section 911, the NC 211 telephone center, societal media reporters, structure occupancy information, and immoderate accusation reported to an EOC, "to effort to find anyone that idiosyncratic has reported missing oregon that they person asked to person a payment cheque conducted."

"Many of these types of situations were thankfully resolved erstwhile communications systems were brought backmost online and household and friends were capable to link erstwhile again," Graney said. 

Hurricane Helene deed North Carolina precocious past month, bringing catastrophic flooding from the storm’s historical rainfall successful the North Carolina mountains. 

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Tens of thousands of energy customers successful the portion stay without powerfulness and immoderate radical – including residents of Asheville, inactive deficiency moving water. 

FILE: North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, right, and Deanne Criswell, Administrator of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, await the accomplishment of Democratic statesmanlike nominee Vice President Kamala Harris for a briefing connected the harm from Hurricane Helene, astatine Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Oct. 5, 2024, successful Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

On Thursday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed the state's archetypal alleviation bundle to code Helene’s devastation, allocating $273 cardinal for contiguous needs and giving flexibility to agencies and displaced residents.

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Nearly each the wealth volition service arsenic the state's stock that is needed to conscionable the national government's lucifer for authorities and section catastrophe assistance programs. Other wealth volition beryllium utilized successful portion to guarantee public-school nutrition employees astatine closed schools get paid and to assistance officials administer elections successful the coming weeks successful the battleground state.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.