(C) Common Dreams
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Live updates: Desperation grows to find hundreds unaccounted for in wake of Helene [1]
['Elizabeth Wolfe', 'Cnn S Michelle Watson', 'Cnn S Rebekah Riess', 'Carolyn Sung', "Cnn'S Joe Sutton", "Cnn'S Eric Levenson", "Cnn'S Caroll Alvarado", "Cnn'S Eric Zerkel", "Cnn'S Rachel Ramirez", 'Sharif Paget']
Date: 2024-10-01 09:45:26.033000+00:00
Emergency responders are still rescuing people and trying to get aid to the mountains in North Carolina, five days after Helene made landfall, the governor said during a Tuesday news conference.
There are 460,000 North Carolinians without power, access to water remains difficult for some, roadways remain dangerous and more than 1,100 people are being housed in 29 shelters across the state, Gov. Roy Cooper said.
“The devastation brought by Hurricane Helene is beyond belief,” he said. “Communities were wiped off the map.”
Despite the challenges, the governor said he’s been encouraged to see how people are working together through the tragedy, including many first responders and medical workers who left their own families and damaged homes to take care of the community.
So far, more than 57,000 people have applied for FEMA individual assistance and are already beginning to receive relief funds, Cooper said.
Cooper, along with other officials, continued to emphasize the importance of keeping the roadways clear unless travel is essential.
With downed power lines and unstable ground, the risk for landslides remains, said William Ray, North Carolina’s director of emergency management. He also urged people to refrain from flying drones in western North Carolina, as it poses a hazard to aircraft involved in the response effort.
As of 9 a.m. Tuesday, North Carolina’s attorney general’s office had received more than 70 complaints about price gouging on fuel, groceries and hotel rooms across the state. North Carolina has an anti-price gouging law in times of disaster.
“We simply will not allow price gougers to take advantage of you when you’re in need,” North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein said. “Times like this ask the best of us … we take every opportunity to lend a helping hand to those in need. It’s our moment to step up for our neighbors.”
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[1] Url:
https://www.cnn.com/weather/live-news/hurricane-helene-damage-north-carolina-10-01-24#cm1qj8hbn00003b6ouotvr77k
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