Helene Archives - Page 8 of 9

After the deluge, the lies: Misinformation and hoaxes about Helene cloud the recovery

WASHINGTON (AP) — False and misleading claims about Hurricane Helene are spreading about the storm and recovery efforts. And that’s forcing public officials in hard-hit areas to set the record straight. Donald Trump and others have spread claims suggesting officials are withholding assistance from Republican storm victims. Other conspiracy theories claim federal officials used weather control technology to steer the storm toward Republican areas. Local and state officials in North Carolina and other states say the conspiracy theories are increasing mistrust and authorities to take time away from recovery efforts.… Continue Reading

North Carolina lawmakers to vote on initial Helene relief

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina General Assembly leaders say they’re prepared to approve initial disaster relief next week. House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger said in a Friday news release that they’re still working out the details of exactly what’s needed for now to address the damage from Hurricane Helene. Lawmakers at an already-scheduled one-day session Wednesday are expected to advance a down payment on the state’s share of relief funds as well as legal changes to provide flexibility to agencies and displaced residents. State government coffers already include $5.5 billion in “rainy day” and disaster reserves.… Continue Reading

Well-known Asheville music tradition returns in a sign of hopefulness after Helene

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A well-known Asheville musical tradition has returned in a sign of hopefulness a week after Helene battered the mountain city. The Asheville Drum Circle had its first regular Friday night session since the powerful storm blew in. The wind and flooding caused catastrophic damage throughout the mountains. Amid the post-storm chaos, the sound of drums echoed across Pritchard Park and through nearby streets in downtown Asheville. Drummer Mel McDonald hopes the gathering will spread cheer during the trying time and show people there’s still things to look forward to.… Continue Reading

When will the power return? Weary Carolinas residents long for relief after Helene’s fury

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Nearly 700,000 homes and businesses in the U.S. Southeast are still without power more than a week after Hurricane Helene blew through the region. Most of the outages are in the Carolinas and Georgia. At least 220 people died in the storm, and crews are still trying to reach people who haven’t been accounted for in some hard-to-reach places. Duke Energy said Friday that it hopes to have the lights back on for many of its customers in the Carolinas by the end of the weekend. But it warns that people in places with catastrophic damage should be prepared to wait weeks or longer. The storm also caused severe damage to many city water systems.… Continue Reading

North Carolina is distributing Benadryl and EpiPens as yellow jackets swarm from Helene flooding

North Carolina health workers are distributing Benadryl and epinephrine injections to communities after hurricane flooding has caused bees and yellow jackets to swarm from their underground nests. Hospitals, emergency responders and doctors have been requesting allergy medications as more people run into the insects in Helene’s wake. Anaphylaxis is a rare but potentially deadly reaction to stings that should be treated with an emergency epinephrine injection.… Continue Reading

UNC relocates intrasquad scrimmage from Cherokee after Hurricane Helene’s impact to region

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina has relocated its planned intrasquad scrimmage in western North Carolina due to damage from Hurricane Helene in that region and will instead hold it at home. The school had scheduled its Blue-White scrimmage for Oct. 13 at the Harrah’s Resort in Cherokee, located in the western-most county in the state. The team was then set to travel to Memphis to play an exhibition game two days later as part of a doubleheader benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The scrimmage will now take place Oct. 12 at the campus Smith Center.… Continue Reading

A deadly hurricane is the latest disruption for young athletes who already have endured a pandemic

The destruction from Hurricane Helene has disrupted the high school landscape throughout southern Appalachia. Floodwaters swallowed entire high school athletic complexes and washed out roads that forced the postponement of football games throughout the region for a second straight week. In western North Carolina, Pisgah High School reopened its football stadium last year after Tropical Storm Fred tore through in 2021. Now it has to be rebuilt again. School athletic director Heidi Morgan says she’s trying to keep things in perspective. The storm is blamed for the loss of more than 200 lives. Morgan says that while material things can be replaced, lives cannot.… Continue Reading

Amid Hurricane Helene’s destruction, local sports organizations launch relief efforts to aid storm victims

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sports teams and organizations have launched their own relief efforts to help those impacted by the devastation from Hurricane Helene. The Category 4 storm has led to 200 deaths after cutting through the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee. Relief efforts include North Carolina’s three major professional sports franchises either donating or raising money for relief efforts. They also include N.C. State college football player Davin Vann working with his family to run a donation drive for needed supplies. Efforts also included donation drives at NASCAR tracks in North Carolina and Tennessee.… Continue Reading

Soul-searching and regret over unheeded warnings follow Helene’s destruction

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Before Hurricane Helene’s landfall last week the National Weather Service began an all-out blitz to alert emergency planners, first responders and residents of the impending perils. They predicted dangerous weather as far inland as the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. Smartphones buzzed and warnings blared with such phrases as “URGENT,” “life threatening” and “catastrophic.” Forecasts consistently called for high winds and record flooding. But the warnings weren’t enough to forestall a still-rising death toll of at least 215 across six states. Devastated homeowners and officials alike are now wondering whether more could have been done to sound the alarms.… Continue Reading

The search for the missing hits snags at every corner as Helene’s death toll tops 200

PENSACOLA, N.C. (AP) — Searchers are combing the remote mountains of North Carolina to locate the missing and those needing supplies nearly a week after Hurricane Helene barreled through the Southeast. The death toll has surpassed 200 and could rise higher still. Rescue crews and volunteers are just now trying to get to the hardest-to-reach places and finding mudslides, downed trees and washed out roads at every turn. Some are using canoes, horses and all-terrain vehicles to get past. Helene is now the deadliest storm to hit the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Katrina. President Joe Biden is touring the disaster zones in Georgia and Florida.… Continue Reading