Helene Archives - Page 2 of 7

The White House’s Christmas tree is a symbol of resilience for hurricane-hit North Carolina farms

NEWLAND, N.C. (AP) — The White House’s Christmas tree is slated to be cut and transported from a North Carolina farm on Wednesday. Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm is located in Avery County, North Carolina. It was one of the hardest-hit counties from Hurricane Helene just a few months before. The farm experienced some road damage and lost between 5,000 to 6,000 smaller trees in a mudslide. But one of the owners, Sam Cartner Jr., says that other Christmas tree farmers had it much worse than his family’s farm. He hopes the White House tree can be an inspiring symbol for western North Carolina.… Continue Reading

Biden seeks nearly $100 billion in emergency disaster aid after Hurricanes Helene and Milton

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is requesting nearly $100 billion in emergency disaster aid after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and other natural disasters. He’s telling lawmakers that the money is “urgently needed.” Biden says in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday that he’s met firsthand with those harmed by the storms and has heard what residents and businesses need from the federal government. The largest share of the money, about $40 billion, would go to the main disaster relief fund at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. An additional $24 billion would help farmers and $12 billion would go toward community development block grants.… Continue Reading

Western North Carolina’s water system is finally back online after Helene

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — More than 100,000 residents in western North Carolina are now allowed to drink and bathe with water from their home faucets. The change on Monday comes nearly two months after Hurricane Helene destroyed much of the local water system. Clay Chandler is a spokesman for Asheville’s Water Resources Department. He said tests of the water “were all clear” and that a boil-water notice was lifted. Asheville restored running water to most of its users by the end of October. But the city instituted a boil-water notice as workers brought the system back online and ran tests.… Continue Reading

Driver dies after crashing on hurricane-damaged highway in North Carolina

WAYNESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Officials say a driver has died after going around a barricade on a hurricane-damaged North Carolina highway that became a symbol of Helene’s destruction. Photos of Interstate 40 with multiple lanes washed out by Helene near the Tennessee state line garnered widespread attention after the storm. The Junaluska Community Volunteer Fire Department says emergency workers responded to eastbound Interstate 40 on Saturday night. The fire department says crews rappelled down an embankment to reach the vehicle. The driver, the only person in the vehicle, was extricated and taken to a hospital where she later died.… Continue Reading

North Carolina sees turnout record with more than 4.2M ballots cast at early in-person voting sites

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina elections officials say that more than 4.2 million voters cast ballots at early in-person voting sites, with turnout in western counties hit by Hurricane Helene outpacing the rest of the state. The State Board of Elections announced the record turnout Sunday. Early in-person voting, which ended Saturday, has become increasingly popular in the presidential battleground state over several election cycles. In 2020, a record 3.63 million people voted during the early-voting period. This year, the board said the state exceeded that total by Thursday, days before the period ended.… Continue Reading

Rescuers find body of worker swept away from Tennessee factory by Hurricane Helene flood

ERWIN, Tenn. (AP) — Rescue workers in Tennessee have recovered the body of the final person still missing after massive flooding from Hurricane Helene hit a plastics factory there. Twenty-nine-year-old Rosa Andrade was one of six employees killed after they were unable to escape the rising waters in Erwin, a small town in East Tennessee. Surviving workers have stated they were not allowed to leave Impact Plastics until water had flooded the plant’s parking lot and the power went out. The company’s owner has disputed that claim. The raging waters swept away 11 workers on Sept. 27 and only five were rescued. More than 200 deaths have been attributed to Helene.… Continue Reading

Georgia officials agree to spend $100 million on Hurricane Helene aid for farms and forestry

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s state government is diverting $100 million to spend on loans to farmers and cleanup after Hurricane Helene. The Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission voted unanimously Friday to spend the money. It had been set aside for construction projects or paying off existing debt. Of the money, $75 million will be used to provide disaster relief loans to farmers and associated businesses in the agricultural industry. The other $25 million will be spent to clean up timber losses and other debris. A state agency that lends money to farmers will begin working on a plan to spend the $100 million on Monday.… Continue Reading

North Carolina’s governor approves more than $600 million in Helene recovery funding

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina state legislators have approved over $600 million more toward Hurricane Helene recovery and relief. The Republican-dominated General Assembly held a one-day session Thursday to consider additional funding and legislation. Four weeks ago, Helene tore across the Southeast and wreaked havoc in western North Carolina. Lawmakers had approved a $273 million package earlier this month. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has calculated overall storm damages and needs at over $53 billion and is requesting $3.9 billion in state funds. Republican leaders said they would consider Cooper’s proposal in the weeks ahead. The legislature also enacted another measure to direct two storm-affected counties to open more early-voting sites.… Continue Reading

In Asheville, high school seniors make key life choices under the stress of Helene recovery

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — High school seniors in Asheville are grappling with several important life decisions as they still recover from the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene on their region. Schools across North Carolina’s Buncombe County have been canceled for over a month, but are now set to resume within the next week. Some seniors have tried to make the most of their time off by hanging out with friends or volunteering. But many say they feel the stress of college applications weighing on them. Some seniors are also disappointed that they’ve missed a month of their last year of high school.… Continue Reading

A hurricane’s historic destruction hasn’t stopped North Carolina election workers and voters

HOT SPRINGS, N.C. (AP) — Elections officials, poll workers and voters in western North Carolina have been adapting in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s destruction. The storm destroyed roads, bridges and homes, and left communities without power and water. Despite the widespread destruction, election workers have rallied to set up polling sites and help voters cast ballots during the early voting period in the crucial presidential battleground. Turnout during last week’s first day of early in-person voting set a record, and more than 1.3 million people have cast ballots since then. Many election workers and voters in a hard-hit Democratic-leaning county and others in a Republican-leaning one expressed a gritty determination to make sure voters’ voices are heard.… Continue Reading