Helene top stories
Initial impacts from Helene — which hit the Carolinas as a tropical storm — are over. Emergency workers toiled around the clock to clear roads, restore power and phone service, and reach people stranded by the storm, which killed at least 133 people across the Southeast, a toll expected to rise.
Helene brought catastrophic damage to scores of roads in western North Carolina. This map, maintained by the N.C. Department of Transportation, tracks the current status of road closures.
Latest Stories
- Swannanoa residents call for help now, but Senate wants to tie Helene relief package to state budgetThe House ed a $455 million Helene relief bill. Senate Republicans say the state budget is a better place to consider additional storm recovery funds.
- Western North Carolina suffered around $60 billion in damage from the deadly storm.
- Recovery after Helene has highlighted NC system of state care for roads, excluding counties completely. Most states don’t do it that way.
- For a variety of businesses in Western NC, a bustling summer tourism season is sorely needed to balance their books.