The death toll from Tropical Storm Helen is rising in Buncombe County, NCDHHS said

ASHEVILLE. Counting the number of dead and people still missing, the extent of the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Helena in western North Carolina remains to be determined as state medical examiners continue to examine and local authorities exhaust all information on people believed to be missing persons.

About a week, the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner for the State of North Carolina appeared to be nearing the final tally of certified deaths related to Helene. The toll remained at 95 statewide, with all deaths identified after the storm being verified and accounted for at that time.

By October 30, their number had increased to 101.

Among recent county-wide increases, Buncombe County reported 43 deaths on Oct. 29. Henderson County Account an increase of two since Oct. 28, for a total of nine storm-related deaths.

The details of how these people died underscore just how deadly Helena’s effects can be, even though the floodwaters have long receded.

Recent death in Buncombe County: A 57-year-old man was working to clear trees and debris from a property when he was struck and killed by a falling tree on Oct. 27.

In Henderson County, a 62-year-old man had no access to oxygen for several days after Helen and died on Oct. 19 from underlying health problems.

No details were immediately available.

Buncombe Sheriff, APD update on missing persons

As of early October, more than 200 people were still missing in Buncombe County after Helen, Sheriff Quentin Miller said. press briefing on October 3.

After nearly three weeks focused on an increased number of missing persons inquiries along with massive search and rescue efforts in the county, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office and the Asheville Police Department back to normal work October 16

City search and rescue teams continued to work in Buncombe County, the county said in a press release that day. Some media outlets, including the New York Post, reported that state and federal personnel assisting with missing persons cases had left the area. Citizen Times reached out to county and local law enforcement agencies for confirmation, but did not hear back by press time.

The sheriff’s office currently has fewer than 10 active missing persons cases, according to spokesman Matthew Marshall. This number does not include those who are reported missing in the city of Asheville.

“Our investigators are working to determine which of these cases are related to the storm,” Marshall confirmed to the Citizen Times on October 28.

“If the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office is notified of additional calls, we will work with other agencies to ensure the case is handled further by the appropriate agency,” he added.

In the past six days, the Asheville Police Department’s number of active missing persons cases related to Helen has dropped from nine to five, according to spokeswoman Samantha Booth.

“This number is always subject to change depending on whether the person is found/located or we receive another missing person report related to TS Helene.” Chief Mike Lamb said Citizen Times by email 30 Oct.

In non-emergency situations or to report a loved one missing within city limits, contact APD at 828-252-1110. For the county, call the sheriff’s office at 828-250-6670. In an emergency, call 911.

Riley Ober is a public safety correspondent for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. She graduated from Indiana University and was the 2022 Citizen Times Summer News Reporting Intern. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober