Search and rescue efforts remain ongoing across Western North Carolina after communities were ravaged by floodwaters of Tropical Storm Helene.
County emergency response officials have advised the public on ways to seek out loved ones.
Buncombe County, Asheville
City of Asheville and Buncombe County public officials have announced that they have been working on a service to help reconnect families as County Manager Avril Pinder called the disaster “Buncombe County’s own Hurricane Katrina.”
The Buncombe County Register of Deeds has created a web form to reconnect loved ones with people who cannot be reached. To report someone missing believed to be in Buncombe County, complete the web form for each missing person, and officials will work to locate and determine their current status.
Voicemails can be left for the Buncombe County Family Assistance Center at 828-820-2761.
The emergency shelter for those who need emergency aid is located at 10 Genevieve Circle in Asheville.
Haywood County, Waynesville
An emergency shelter is located at 235 Armory Drive, in Clyde. Residents seeking shelter are welcome, and advised to bring medication, oxygen and other necessities with them.
Haywood County Emergency Services recommends texting loved ones instead of calling as issues with phone service continue. Some text messages are getting through sporadically, officials advised.
A curfew is in place from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Rutherford County, Lake Lure, Chimney Rock Village
Rutherford County Emergency Management has secured air rescue resources and is working to airlift residents from the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock Village areas.
Evacuated individuals will be taken to R-S Central High School to receive further assistance. Cell service is extremely limited in the area.
“As soon as we receive the names of those rescued, we will make every effort to reach out to families and individuals who have inquired about their loved ones,” Rutherford County Emergency Management posted on Saturday afternoon. “Your understanding and cooperation are greatly appreciated during this challenging time.”
Watauga County, Boone, Blowing Rock
Officials recommend calling their call center for information at 828-263-4178. Watauga County Emergency Services lost internet service for nearly 24 hours. Many roadways in the area are almost completely impassable, and power is out, WCES advised.
“We apologize for the lack of updates as we had lost internet. As you can imagine it’s been a little busy. We are not actively monitoring Messenger due to the sheer volume of calls and workload,” officials posted on social media just after 5 p.m. on Saturday.
A curfew will be in effect in Watauga County, including Boone and Blowing Rock, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Madison County
An emergency shelter is open at the Madison County Schools Wellness Center, located at 5734 U.S. 25-70 in Marshall. For information on the shelter or transportation to the shelter, call 828-649-1955.
Henderson County, Hendersonville
An emergency shelter is located at the Henderson County Athletics & Activity Center at 708 South Grove St. in Hendersonville. A joint shelter has also been established with Buncombe County for residents in the French Broad River Valley at WNC Agricultural Center at 1301 Fanning Bridge Road in Fletcher.
Ashe County, Jefferson
An emergency shelter is located at Ashe County High School located at 184 Campus Drive in West Jefferson.
A limited number of volunteers are working in Ashe County to help reunite families as swift-water rescue teams continue their work.
“I know everyone is worried about family members but please remember that this is an unprecedented catastrophic event and our LIMITED NUMBER of volunteers have been working hard for the last 2 days and can only do so much,” Ashe County Emergency Management wrote in a social media post on Saturday morning. “Some of these volunteers have lost their homes and are unable to check on their own family members.”
