ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — This time of year, birds chirping or maybe the sounds of tourist traffic are what one usually hears first thing in the morning.
Lately, mornings have been filled with sirens, chainsaws, helicopters and heavy equipment as rescue, recovery and relief efforts from Helene’s deadly flooding continue.
“We’ve never seen the devastation that’s occurred all across Western North Carolina with Hurricane Helene. It’s unprecedented, but we are working together to provide an unprecedented response,” Gov. Roy Cooper said during a visit to Haywood County on Friday.
Haywood County Sheriff Bill Wilkie said more than 450 people from outside the county have joined search and rescue efforts.
“They’ve come from outside the county and far away places such as Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Maryland. They showed up here to help this county begin the process, the process of recovery and give some peace and comfort to the residents and citizens of the county who have suffered a tremendous loss,” Wilkie said.
Wilkie also praised public servants who in some cases have been working 16- and 18-hour days.
“I can’t begin to describe with words the gratefulness that I have of those who have come out in this great, great challenging event that we’ve had,” Wilkie said. “I don’t even know where to begin other than to thank our first responders and citizens who are helping neighbors.”
The sheriff and Haywood County Board of Commissioners Chairman Kevin Ensley also took aim at rumors and misinformation about what was happening in the area.
“When I went to the distribution point where the supplies are coming in, they were coming in truck after truck. I don’t know where they’re from. They just come in, they leave it and they go,” Ensley said. “I also want to reiterate any rumors that we’re turning away help or that we’re shutting down businesses are not true. And I just want to say that as forcefully as I can that is not true. We’re not turning away help. We’re not shutting down any businesses or turning anyone away.”
Cooper said FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell had been on the ground in North Carolina from day one. The governor also said more than 50,000 people had already applied for disaster assistance and more than $5 million had already been dispersed.
Officials said many people do not have access to all the information they need to file a claim, so disaster survivor assistance teams are out in the field trying to help those folks.
Officials also said that rumors that FEMA funding had been diverted to other uses are false.
“Our resources have been in all six states that have been impacted by this disaster — Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia,” Criswell said. “We have been there since before the storms made landfall, before they impacted these communities. And I have teams embedded in each of the emergency operations centers to make sure there’s a direct line of communication to get those resources where they’re needed.
Wilkie cautioned people against believing everything they see on social media.
“I’m focusing on the people who are wearing boots and gloves and doing muck outs and spending in some cases 18 hours a day working just to find family heirlooms that have been lost. My effort is on them, and I would really caution those who get on social media and make assumptions and say things about you know, FEMA is doing this or our emergency management is doing that. I’ve been out in the field and I’ve seen what’s happening and those voices are of no concern to me,” Wilkie said.
“I’m asking the residents of this county to focus on what’s good. You’ve got residents in this county without power, without immediate access to transportation food or water, who, without any regard for their own safety, go next door to their neighbor’s house and do things like help them find their cattle, things that presented a livelihood that no longer exists.
“I get a little frustrated when I see the conspiracy theorists, see these things online. I would encourage the good residents of Western North Carolina to turn that garbage off. I have very little patience for it. I don’t mean to get emotional about it, but you’re harming the morale and the efforts of people who are out there putting themselves in harm’s way to help others who have been impacted. So get off Facebook, get out there in a pair of boots and put on a pair of gloves and get to work. Make it count.
Ensley said 167 structures had been assessed and 75 have major damage, 40 have moderate damage and there are 52 with major damage primarily in Maggie Valley, Jonathan Creek and Clyde. Assessments are ongoing and the number is expected to increase.