At least 81 people are to still missing in western North Carolina weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated the United States’ southeast.
Speaking at a press conference, Governor Roy Cooper said that the individuals are still missing in the western part of the state.
While initially giving a figure of 92 missing people, he later revised this to 81, advising that it would fluctuate.
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“The Department of Public Safety formed a task force to find who is still unaccounted for and focus efforts where needed,” he said.
“The task force, law enforcement and other partners will continue working to locate those who are unaccounted for and I am thankful for their efforts,” he said.
The Governor provided updates on recovery efforts, which included an announcement that just 13,000 homes now remain without power, down from one million post-Helene.
In addition, he stated that 77,000 people had been approved for individual assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), with more than $99 million already paid out.
“FEMA is paying for temporary stays for more than 1,900 people in hotels and together we’re working on more temporary housing,” he said.
However, he warned residents to be wary of what he called a “persistent and dangerous flow” of misinformation regarding recovery efforts in the state.
“The people you’re really hurting are those in western North Carolina who need help,” he said.
This comes as federal disaster personnel resumed door-to-door visits after a temporary suspension due to threats and reports that FEMA workers could be targeted by militia.
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said it received a call at the weekend about a man with an assault rifle who had made comments about potentially harming FEMA employees – further investigations determined the man was acting alone.
A man was charged with going armed to the terror of the public and was released following his bond being posted.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said that that changes have been made to keep personnel safe “out of an abundance of caution” and that the agency isn’t going anywhere.
