A county by county look at Helene’s devastation in Western NC. The latest updates.

The toll of the tropical storm that was once Hurricane Helene continues to unfold in North Carolina. The state’s picturesque and mountainous western region was inundated with historic rainfalls, flooding, land and mudslides.

We’re gathering what we know of the damage in each county in Western North Carolina. Here is an evolving snapshot of that toll as new information becomes available.

We’ll update this in the coming days with more counties and specific details.

Alexander County

All of the power has been restored to homes and businesses in Alexander County.

The Highway 16 bridge, which passes over Lake Hickory near the Oxford Dam, reopened Tuesday, officials said.

The county reports that phone, internet and cell service have improved and have been restored in most government buildings.

Alleghany County

Five of the 9,832 homes and businesses in Alleghany County remain without power as of Friday morning.

Portions of N.C. 93 and N.C. 18 are closed in this rural county along the Virginia border.

Phone service was restored for county offices on Friday.

Ashe County

There has been one confirmed death in Ashe County.

About 3% of the 21,758 homes and businesses in Ashe County remain without power as of Friday morning.

New River State Park is currently closed.

The New River crested at 18.27 feet, higher than the 18-foot crest during the Great Flood of 1916. The historic record, though, for the Jefferson water station is 22.5 feet, from 1940.

Avery County

There have been four confirmed deaths in Avery County.

About 11% of the 1,796 homes and businesses in Avery County remain without power as of Friday morning.

There are dozens of road closures in this mountainous county along the Tennessee border.

Grandfather Mountain, which includes Avery, Caldwell and Watauga counties, is closed until further notice.

Five shelters have been set up in Banner Elk, Beech Mountain, Ingalls, Newland and Minneapolis.

Curfew is in place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. to keep roadways clear.

Buncombe County

Buncombe County officials said 72 people have been found dead in that county alone.

So far Buncombe, which is home to Asheville, has the most reported Helene deaths in the state.

Buncombe County Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger said Sept. 30 that his office has received 11,000 requests from people seeking help to locate their loved ones amid the spotty cell service and destroyed roadways.

On Saturday, the county launched an online site to report and upload photos of blocked roads and downed trees: report.BuncombeCounty.org.

Around 46,000 customers were still without power on Wednesday, more than 28% of the county.

Portions of U.S. 70, U.S. 74 and N.C. 81 remain closed, as do dozens of other thoroughfares.

Two emergency shelters are open. The shelter in Asheville is full, but one in Fletcher can accept people and pets.

Burke County

There has been one confirmed death in Burke County.

Less than 1% of the county’s 43,609 homes and businesses are without power as of Friday morning.

The Burke County Office of Emergency Services said the number of fatalities and injuries is still being assessed.

A shelter is open at Oak Hill Methodist Church in Morganton.

Supply distribution centers have been set up at George Hildebran Fire/Rescue in Connelly Springs, Longtown Fire Department in Nebo and Enola Fire/Rescue in Morganton.

Caldwell County

Sixteen of the 42,343 homes and businesses in the county remained without power as of Friday morning.

The Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office reports the county’s emergency system received 1,594 calls to 911 during the first day of the storm.

A shelter remains open at West Caldwell High School in Lenoir.

Donations for people impacted by the storm can be dropped off at Lower Creek Baptist Church in Lenoir.

Catawba County

There has been one confirmed death in Catawba County.

Around 100 homes were flooded in the Lookout Shoals area along the Catawba River, and 50 more homes around the county suffered major damage.

All of the power has been restored to homes and businesses in the county.

Clay County

All of the power has been restored to homes and businesses in Clay County.

Cleveland County

There have been two confirmed deaths in Cleveland County.

Nine of the 48,369 homes and businesses in the county remain without power Friday morning.

Gaston County

There has been one confirmed death in Gaston County.

Twenty-five of the 115,122 homes and businesses in the county remain without power as of Friday morning.

Haywood County

There have been four confirmed deaths, according to the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office.

Less than 1% of the 39,267 homes and businesses in the county remain without power as of Friday morning.

A large section of Interstate 40 is closed in the county, as well as portions of N.C. 215 and U.S. 276.

An emergency shelter is open in Clyde at the Haywood County Government Armory.

Distribution centers for supplies have been set up at Woodland Baptist Church and Jonathan Valley Elementary in Waynesville, and Bethel Elementary School in Canton.

A curfew remains in place from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.

The Haywood County fair has been canceled for 2024.

Henderson County

There have been six confirmed deaths in Henderson County.

About 4% of the 69,28 homes and businesses in the county remain without power Friday morning.

Large sections of U.S. 64 and 74 remain closed near Bat Cave, along with many other roads.

Two shelters remain open in Hendersonville, each with plenty of open beds.

Resource hubs for water and other supplies were opened Wednesday at Etowah Elementary, Rugby Middle, East Henderson High, North Henderson High, Mills River Town Hall and Fletcher Town Hall.

There is a countywide curfew from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Jackson County

Less than 1% of the 30,047 homes and businesses in the county remain without power Friday morning.

Schools are reopening Monday.

Lincoln County

All power was restored by Sunday afternoon.

Public school resumed on Thursday.

Macon County

There has been one confirmed death in Macon County.

Twelve of the 29,273 homes and businesses were without power on Friday morning.

Madison County

There have been four confirmed deaths in Madison County.

Around 2% of the county’s 15,878 homes and businesses remain without power as of Friday morning.

Parts of N.C. 63, U.S. 25 and U.S. 70 are closed.

An emergency shelter is open at the county wellness center in Marshall.

Food, water and other supplies are available to county residents at A-B Tech Madison, 4646 U.S. 25.

McDowell County

There has been one confirmed death in McDowell County.

Around 5% of the county’s 30,790 homes and businesses remained without power Friday morning.

The westbound lane of Interstate 40 is closed to non-emergency traffic throughout the county. Dozens more roads are closed.

There are two emergency shelters open in Marion, though only the YMCA still has space.

The town of Old Fort enacted a curfew on Saturday because of “increased theft issues.” It is in effect nightly from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.

An IV fluid manufacturer has paused operations due to flooding and bridge failures, sparking concerns about a nationwide shortage of IV bags and dialysis solutions.

The county has set up a donation site for water and emergency supplies at 634 College Dr. in Marion. Residents can also call the Helene Assistance Hotline at 828-652-3241 to report missing persons, request transportation or shelter, and report urgent medical equipment needs.

Mecklenburg County

There has been one confirmed death in Mecklenburg County.

Mitchell County

About 44% of the 12,071 homes and businesses in Mitchell County are without power as of Friday morning.

Numerous roads throughout Mitchell County are impassable, and “a good bit of the county infrastructure has been either damaged or destroyed by floodwaters and uprooted trees and downed power lines,” according to the county. Bakersville, the county seat along Cane Creek, has been particularly hit hard.

The Red Cross opened a shelter at Mitchell High School in Bakersville, while another opened at First Baptist Church in Spruce Pine.

A quartz mine in Spruce Pine owned by Sibelco has been temporarily closed due to flooding and damage in the storm.

Polk County

There has been one confirmed death in Polk County.

Less than 1% of the 20,292 homes and businesses in Polk County are without power as of Friday morning.

The county has set up a phone line with a recorded message for those seeking information, at 828-722-5086. On Saturday, local government described the devastation in Green River Cove as “beyond words.”

Polk County High School in Columbus is serving as a shelter, though schools are set to resume Wednesday.

Among the roads closed Friday were portions of N.C. 9 and U.S. 176.

Rutherford County

There have been three confirmed deaths in Rutherford County.

About 2% of 45,550 homes and businesses in Rutherford County are without power as of Friday morning.

There is widespread damage throughout the county. The Lake Lure Dam, once thought in danger of failure, has stabilized.

The town of Lake Lure said firefighters and town workers went door to door rescuing people in the most affected area, many on foot or via helicopter because of closed roads. The top of the lake was covered in debris, including floating propane tanks, that the Broad River swept up on its way through Chimney Rock.

Chimney Rock Village is restricting access to essential personnel only. Not even residents are being granted passes to enter dangerous areas.

Lake Lure officials have advised residents to leave town, if possible, and won’t permit nonresidents to enter.

“Please do not come to town unless you absolutely need to be here as this is an ongoing rescue situation and the roads are not safe,” town officials wrote Wednesday morning. “Your absence will allow first responders to focus on rescue operations.”

Residents can call the county emergency line at 828-278-8920 to make donations or ask for supplies.

Shelters are open at schools in Rutherfordton and Forest City.

There is a countywide curfew from 7:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.

Transylvania County

Less than 1% of the 23,988 homes and businesses in Transylvania County were without power as of Friday morning.

The sheriff’s office said last Sunday that Transylvania County had “received catastrophic damages, and we have still not been able to access all parts of the county.”

U.S. 64 near the South Carolina state line remained closed on Friday, as did sections of U.S. 276 and many roads near Brevard.

No deaths have been reported in the county and all the missing persons reports have been resolved, Transylvania County Manager Jaime Laughter said Sunday.

Schools will be closed at least another week.

Watauga County

There have been two confirmed deaths in Watauga County.

About 3% of 29,117 homes and businesses in Watauga were without power on Friday morning.

Numerous homes and businesses were flooded in Boone, and the town’s water pipes were broken in several places. Residents have been told to boil drinking water before using it.

The Red Cross is running a shelter in Boone for residents and Appalachian University students whose off-campus homes were damaged.

Many roads are closed as of Monday morning, including parts of N.C. 194. County and local officials ask all leisure travel to the area be postponed.

There’s a countywide curfew from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Wilkes County

Twenty-four of 38,686 homes and businesses in Wilkes County were without power as of Friday morning.

A county official told MyFox80, a local TV station, that between 150 and 200 homes are inaccessible because of blocked roads. A landslide closed N.C. 18 between Wilkesboro and Sparta, and the road will likely be closed for about a month, said Jason Reavis, the Emergency Services Director.

The county got up to 16 inches of rain, Reavis said, but wasn’t as hard hit as others.

“We caught the side of it pretty much,” he said. “We are very fortunate and very blessed.”

Victim assistance centers will open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday at 307 9th St. in Wilkesboro and 1422 Burtonwood Drive in Gastonia.

Yadkin County

There has been one confirmed death in Yadkin County.

Yancey County

There have been nine confirmed deaths in Yancey County.

Around 36% of the 14,608 homes and businesses in Yancey County were without power as of Friday morning.

N.C. 197 partially collapsed near Burnsville. N.C. 80 and U.S. 19 are also among the many that remain closed Friday.

The Red Cross has set up a shelter at Blue Ridge Elementary School. Residents can now call the county sheriff’s office at 828-682-2124 for assistance.

This story was originally published September 30, 2024 at 6:22 PM.

Drew Jackson

The News & Observer

919-829-4707

Drew Jackson writes about restaurants and dining for The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun, covering the food scene in the Triangle and North Carolina.