For those unable to evacuate to a safe location, an emergency shelter has been established at the WNC Agriculture Center located at WNC Agricultural Center: 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher NC.
As of 7:37 a.m., an emergency shelter has been opened at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center, 87 Haywood St., Asheville.
Please bring essential items such as medications, important documents, and personal necessities.
Transportation Assistance:
If you are unable to evacuate safely, please call 911 for assistance with transportation.
Evacuation Precautions:
Avoid flooded roads and areas prone to landslides during your evacuation.
Immediately gather important documents and items needed to make yourself and your family comfortable at a shelter or other safe space.
Important Resources:
For up-to-date information on the evacuation, road closures, and shelter availability, please visit www.buncombeready.org.
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The aftermath of Hurricane Helene has left North Carolina, particularly the city of Asheville, grappling with severe flooding and widespread power outages. The storm brought heavy rainfall, intense winds, and life-threatening flash flooding to the western part of the state.
The highest reported rainfall was 29.5 inches in Busick Raws, Yancey County, according to North Carolina’s Governor Roy Cooper’s office. Asheville and other areas like Chimney Rock experienced significant rainfall, leading to damaging debris and flooding.
Rutherford County’s Emergency Management issued an immediate evacuation notice to residents near the Lake Lure Dam on Friday morning due to the heavy rainfall. By Friday evening, the county government office shared an update on the dam’s water levels. “Lake Lure water levels are no longer rising and are beginning to recede,” the county government office wrote in a Facebook post.
Emergency personnel have reportedly rescued over 25 individuals through swift water rescue, EMS, fire departments, and law enforcement efforts. However, the storm has left many phone lines out of service across the county, especially in Lake Lure, complicating rescue and recovery efforts.
As of Saturday afternoon, there were 635,887 total power outages reported in North Carolina, according to the USA TODAY power outage map. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, and residents are bracing for the long recovery process ahead.
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