Helene Archives - Page 5 of 8

Marion community rallies to rebuild after Hurricane Helene

Two weeks after Hurricane Helene ravaged western North Carolina, the community is still reeling from its unexpected destruction. Many residents were caught off guard by the severity of the storm, leaving homes and businesses unprepared for the devastating floodwaters that followed. In the wake of heavy winds and thunderstorms that preceded the hurricane, rivers and streams overflowed, inundating mountain towns. The deluge swept away trees, cars, and homes, leaving a trail of devastation. Now, relief organizations and local businesses are coming together to help the community start the long process of rebuilding.… Continue Reading

Battleground North Carolina sees strong early voting, despite obstacles created by Helene

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Early in-person voting has started in the presidential battleground state of North Carolina. That includes in the mountains, where some potential voters still lack power and clean running water after Hurricane Helene’s epic flooding last month. More than 400 locations in all 100 counties opened Thursday for the 17-day early voting period. Nearly all of the sites planned for the 25 western counties hardest hit by the storm also were open. Close to two-thirds of all ballots for the November 2020 election were cast early. Traditional absentee balloting began a few weeks ago.… Continue Reading

After hurricane, with no running water, residents organize to meet a basic need

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — It takes water to flush a toilet yet tens of thousands of North Carolinians have been without it since Hurricane Helene ripped through the state three weeks ago. The storm swallowed mountain towns, damaged water infrastructure and killed nearly 250 people across the Southeast. Local governments have been overwhelmed and that’s spurring community organizing and innovation. In Asheville, some residents who have well water are donating it to other people. One man lay a pipe to the roadway to make well water accessible to the public. Others are hauling water from pools and ponds to those in need. Still others are teaching neighbors to build makeshift toilets using buckets.… Continue Reading

Man accused of making threat says he believed social media reports of FEMA refusing to help

LAKE LURE, N.C. (AP) — A man accused of making a threat that sparked a temporary shift in some western North Carolina disaster recovery operations said he believed social media reports that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was refusing to help people. William Parsons told WGHP-TV that he realized that wasn’t the case when he arrived in Lake Lure. A sheriff’s office says it received a call about an armed man who commented about possibly harming FEMA employees. Officials say Parsons was identified as a suspect and charged with a misdemeanor.… Continue Reading

Federal money to help states hit by hurricanes Helene and Milton nears $2 billion

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says the federal government has approved nearly $2 billion in assistance across six states to help people hit hard by hurricanes Helene and Milton. The federal government has been under intense pressure to show that it is getting help to areas devastated by the back-to-back hurricanes in late September and early October as it warns that more money will be needed to fund the response. According to a White House release issued Wednesday, about $911 million has gone toward damage caused by Hurricane Helene, while about $620 million has gone toward recovery from Hurricane Milton. Other funds have gone toward things like agriculture assistance.… Continue Reading

FEMA resumes door-to-door visits in North Carolina after threats tied to disinformation

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Officials say federal disaster workers have resumed door-to-door visits as part of hurricane recovery efforts in North Carolina. The visits were temporarily suspended after reports emerged over the weekend that Federal Emergency Management Agency employees could be targeted by a militia members. The government response to Hurricane Helene has become a rampant subject of disinformation. A sheriff’s office says one man was arrested in connection with the investigation into threats, but that suspect acted alone. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell says the agency isn’t going anywhere. She and Gov. Roy Cooper called on people to stop spreading falsehoods about the recovery efforts so that people who need help can get it.… Continue Reading

FEMA workers change some hurricane-recovery efforts in North Carolina after receiving threats

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Officials say federal disaster workers paused and then changed some of their hurricane-recovery efforts in North Carolina, including abandoning door-to-door visits, after receiving threats. The threats that they could be targeted by a militia emerged over the weekend, at a time when the government response to Helene is being targeted by rampant disinformation. The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said it received a call about a man with an assault rifle who commented about possibly harming employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency working in the hard-hit areas of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock, in the North Carolina mountains. The man was later arrested charged with a misdemeanor.… Continue Reading

Biden is surveying Hurricane Milton damage in Florida. Harris is going to church in North Carolina

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Joe Biden is surveying damage left behind in Florida by Hurricane Milton. Biden arrived in Tampa on Sunday and flew by helicopter to St. Pete Beach. Along the way he saw what was left of the roof of Tropicana Field, which was shorn off by Milton’s powerful winds. Vice President Kamala Harris will speak during a church service in Greenville, North Carolina, as part of her campaign’s effort to turn out Black churchgoers before Election Day. She also plans a campaign rally. North Carolina narrowly voted for Donald Trump in 2020. Democrats are hoping to win back the state on Election Day.… Continue Reading

FACT FOCUS: A look at the false information around Hurricanes Helene and Milton

The devastation around Hurricanes Helene and Milton has been complicated further by false and misleading information, much of it politically motivated. Misinformation around the Federal Emergency Management Agency, some of which claimed land would be seized and bulldozed in North Carolina, and claims that state and local governments were failing to address the situation were spread by GOP candidates, including former President Donald Trump. President Joe Biden and other federal officials have criticized Trump and others for spreading disinformation around the hurricanes.… Continue Reading

Volunteers bring solar power to Hurricane Helene’s disaster zone

BAKERSVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Nearly two weeks after Hurricane Helene downed power lines and washed out roads all over North Carolina’s mountains, the roar of gas-powered generators is both unpleasant and essential. More than 43,000 of the 1.5 million customers who lost power in the region still lacked electricity on Friday. Without it, they can’t keep medicines cold, pump well water, recharge their phones or apply for federal disaster aid. Crews from all over are helping Duke Energy make repairs, but it’s slow going in the dense mountain forests. One nonprofit that is helping is the Footprint Project, which is scaling up to supply solar-powered mobile infrastructure, from batteries and small generators to solar grids.… Continue Reading