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North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced on Tuesday (October 15) that 92 people are still unaccounted for in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The death toll from the storm has reached 95, with fatalities reported across 21 counties. The majority of these deaths occurred in Buncombe, with 42 reported fatalities, followed by Yancey and Henderson, with 11 and 7 deaths, respectively.
Governor Cooper stated during a briefing, "The Department of Public Safety formed a task force to find who is still unaccounted for and focus efforts where needed… as of today, the task force number of unaccounted for people is 92." He added that this number will "continue to fluctuate as more reports come in and others are resolved."
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) confirmed the fatalities, which were reported by the North Carolina Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME). Justin J. Graney, Chief of External Affairs and Communications for North Carolina Emergency Management, stated that "wide area searches" are taking place, including grid searches, vehicle searches, damaged structure searches, and searches around areas where debris has been collected.
Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina late last month, causing catastrophic flooding due to the storm’s historic rainfall in the North Carolina mountains. Governor Cooper has signed the state's first relief package to address Helene’s devastation, allocating $273 million for immediate needs and providing flexibility to agencies and displaced residents.