NC Helene Disaster News from Governor Cooper, President Biden

[littlemissmartypants]

Gov. Cooper outlines massive recovery efforts in NC mountains after devastation from Helene
by: Sanika Bhargaw

Posted: Sep 28, 2024 / 10:42 PM EDT
Updated: Sep 28, 2024 / 11:19 PM EDT

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper spoke to CBS 17 Saturday evening as massive recovery efforts from Helene continued across the western part of the state. As of Saturday night, 10 people in North Carolina have died because of the storm.

Helene devastated the western part of the state, flooding roads and leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power. Crews are still working to rescue people and the state is sending supplies west by air. On Saturday night, President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for North Carolina, making federal funds available.

Gov. Cooper said emergency management agencies are working 24/7 to coordinate recovery efforts and get people the help they need.
“Our priority has been to get people out and to get supplies in,” he said.

The governor said over 30 swiftwater rescue teams are on the ground in the western part of the state. Since Thursday, swiftwater and helicopter rescue teams have rescued more than 200 people.
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https://www.cbs17.com/news/north-carolina-news/gov-cooper-outlines-massive-recovery-efforts-in-nc-mountains-after-devastation-from-helene/
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President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves North Carolina Disaster Declaration

Briefing Room
Presidential Actions
Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of North Carolina and ordered Federal aid to supplement State, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Tropical Storm Helene beginning on September 25, 2024, and continuing.

The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey Counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding also is available to State, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey Counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Finally, Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Mr. Thomas J. McCool of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

Damage assessments are continuing in other areas, and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT [phone] OR [e-mail].

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/09/28/president-joseph-r-biden-jr-approves-north-carolina-disaster-declaration-3/
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[Bo Zarts]

1. Meanwhile in SC .. crickets.

My county, Greenville County, has the highest rate of residential power outages of any county in the five states most impacted by hurricane Helene (Florida, Georgia, SC, NC, and Tennessee): 100%.

I tried to drive up to my studio at Caesar’s Head mountain yesterday. It was a hellscape. US-276 up the mountain is solid blowdown with no possibility of being cleared the last eight miles to the NC/SC state line, according to the three volunteers (with ONE chainsaw) who I encountered at the tangle of fallen trees four miles below my studio, for at least a week, and probably two.

I’ll be posting pics as soon as I can get my computer charged. And more comments about the situation.

Bo

[littlemissmartypants]

2. I'm so sorry, Bo. Thank God we're still mobile and can help.

I'm still holding on to hope that the friends that I haven't spoken to since Thursday are OK. Time will tell.

Keep the faith. ❤️

[mountain grammy]

4. As of Friday, 13 dead in SC. The only clip I could find from your governor

https://www.abccolumbia.com/2024/09/27/gov-henry-mcmaster-state-officials-to-hold-briefing-on-tropical-storm-helene/

[Bo Zarts]

5. The sirens are almost constant in Greenville

Partly because of so many vehicular accidents; most (probably 95%) traffic lights are out. Anarchy reigns at most road intersections with inoperative traffic signals. About 30% of drivers (now there’s a familiar number), from my observations, seem to think no light means a green light. A few, like me, treat an intersection with inop signals like a 4-way stop. The rest think that several vehicles at a time should get through. Mayhem prevails. Tempers flare.

Our governor was a fraternity brother of my brother-in-law. KA at U of SC. The Knights of Alcohol. The Old South lives. The KKK in kollege. Gov. Henry McMaster is as dumb as dirt, and a Trump toady through and through.

[littlemissmartypants]

6. Lord help us all!! What a mess! ❤️

[mountain grammy]

10. In my lifetime I've experienced a few hurricaines, tropical storms, flooding

and a devastating wildfire during a pandemic. Without the help of federal funding there would have been chaos, hopelessness, and, certainly, more deaths. And yet many victims I know who are on their feet thanks to government help still "hate" the government.

Better keep those bootstraps handy.

[littlemissmartypants]

8. The preaching was too much. I couldn't watch. I know that

Death tolls are going to rise. It's early days.

Meanwhile has anyone heard a word from the other sides candidate? Not that I care but...crickets.

Thanks to all deities everywhere for President Biden!!

[stollen]

3. Thank you for the detail.

It helps to get updates everywhere. I hope your governor is in state.

[Bo Zarts]

7. Our governor is a Trump toady and ass-kisser

McMaster is not in-state even when he is in the state, if you know what I mean.

[jaxexpat]

9. Why is the flooding in NC associated with hurricane Helene?

Wind and rain from Helene didn't get to NC until Friday PM. Western NC was already flooding by noon Thursday. (Got photos from friend in Black Rock.) The rains which caused that flooding had been ongoing since the previous Tuesday. The front which created the heavy rain was what is called "a predecessor event". That is the extent of its association with Helene.

It may not seem like much, but it is an example of how even non-critical aspects of history become distorted by mislabeled headlines. What percent of the world today believes that the flooding in NC happened because tropical storm Helene dumped all that rain on their mountains in the 3-4 hours it was actually there? The breaching of Waterville dam was coincidental to Helen's arrival but the water which built up to cause the breach was not.

Hey you, Media! Is it too much trouble to use the 10-15 words necessary to state a few facts or are you just lazy or stupid or both? If you can screw something this simple up, what chaos are you going to create on November 6th?

[littlemissmartypants]

12. Helene's track forecast was right over WNC. It cannot be separated from the flood any more than you can separate a

Raindrop based on the origin of the clouds.

Even without the rain that was already falling, there were high winds plus the extra rain.

Without the already accumulated rain the amount that Helene dropped on WNC was a significant amount in a short span of time.

Water is one of the major attractions in WNC. Almost every town and village that flooded is water adjacent to a lake, river or reservoir. It doesn't take much to reach flood stage and then for banks to get overrun.

The picture is complex and nuanced.

Hurricane Floyd hit the NC coast and we all thought we'd dodged a bullet. It kept dumping rain as it moved North.

Within a few hours that rain had filled the Cape Fear, Black River and the NE Cape Fear River, they hit flood stage, quickly went over and suddenly people were on their rooftops needing rescue.

I was surrounded like an island and couldn't go anywhere for five days. The National Guard troops were up and down in front of my house going from roof rescues to the shelter in town for five days.

There has never been any doubt or debate about the cause and it was Hurricane Floyd.

Also the Waterville dam isn't in North Carolina. It's in Tennessee.

The big picture is clear and we should all be compassionately supportive of those who are suffering. I think it probably makes small difference to them what gets blamed for their heartaches and losses.

I hope you can find what you're looking for and be satisfied with the outcome.

❤️

[LetMyPeopleVote]

11. My sister just evacuated from one of the hardest hit areas of North Carolina

A bridge near her is out and most of the roads were closed due to landslides. She has no power and spotty internet/cell service. The club near her has a generator but will run out of propane tonight or tomorrow. They cleared the roads so that single lanes can get through. It took her 4 hours to go 20 miles but she is now in a part of North Carolina with fairly open roads and power. She has a second home that has power that she is headed to. It was nice to talk to her.