United States: North Carolina emergency workers continue to search for at least 92 people as they begin to come to terms with the result of Hurricane Helene, which occurred weeks earlier and raged through the western part of the state.
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Gov. Roy Cooper informed this at a news conference on Tuesday in the company of representatives from the state’s emergency management agency, National Guard, Public Safety Department, and FEMA.
Cooper said, “I want to caution that this is not a definitive count because the task force is continuing its work,” and, “The number will continue to fluctuate as more reports come in and others are resolved.”
North Carolina has recorded at least 118 deaths associated with Hurricane Helene, contributing to the storm’s 243 deaths in several states.
It came onshore September 26 on the Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm and pummeled its way through the Southeast, NBC News reported.
A record amount of rainfall and wind, which the East African region has been experiencing, affected a mountainous region that cannot normally be ravaged by such disasters owing to its distance from the coast.
Many of the roads were washed away by floods and landslides, and cities and towns were locked off from outside help for days.
Misinformation about disaster relief has been circulating in this case, which complicates relief operations and endangers federal responders, as well as armed militias and other threatened workers.
What more are the officials stating?
Cooper, in response to Helene being strong enough, however, said that not only can the “persistent and dangerous flow of misinformation” cause threats and intimidation, but it also “breeds confusion and demoralizes storm survivors and response workers alike.”
He asked those spreading misinformation to halt, as the safety of response teams is a top priority, NBC News reported.
“I have directed the Department of Public Safety to coordinate law enforcement assistance for FEMA and other responders who need it to help ensure their safety and security so people can keep getting the help that they desperately need,” he added.