Sibelco announced on Thursday that production has restarted at its mining and processing operations in Spruce Pine
Help centers have opened and officials are working to help restaurants reopen
Water is expected to start flowing to parts of the area today
About 4 percent of the utility’s 80,0000 customers remain under a System Pressure Advisory.
The 36-inch bypass line at North Fork Reservoir was reconnected about 1 a.m. Thursday.
USAR operations included 3,133 resident assists, 200 rescues, 183 resident evacuations and 35 pet evacuations.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper provided an update on the state of Western North Carolina in an interview with Melanie Wilkinson on Mix 96.5 and thanked volunteers for their bravery.
One crew had to stop work over the weekend to evacuate an unauthorized user who was hurt while in the park.
Hundreds of volunteers have been using private helicopters to deliver aid to Western North Carolina residents.
The annual Eliada fall festival and corn maze has been canceled due to the impact of the Hurricane Helene storm. Nonetheless, the organization has a plan for donations.