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North Carolina Emergency Management officials are cautioning the public about false Helene reports and misinformation being shared on social media. Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic damage across western North Carolina, including significant damage to the cellular network and communications systems. Misinformation, particularly online, has led to false news reports and rumors about coordinated response efforts. Dangerous conditions continue in some areas and false information could put people at risk.
In response, the North Carolina State Emergency Response Team (NC SERT) established a fact versus rumor response website to provide factual information in the wake of this disaster: www.ncdps.gov/helene-facts. Additional reliable, up-to-date information about response, recovery and relief efforts can be found at www.ncdps.gov/helene. NC SERT continues to update this site as information becomes available.
"The need for reliable, factual information is crucial to aiding in the ongoing lifesaving and humanitarian efforts in Western NC," North Carolina Emergency Management Director Will Ray emphasized. "I encourage all North Carolinians to seek information from trusted sources and to verify information that you see online, verify where it is coming from and avoid sharing unproven information."
The public should get information about storm response and impacts from trusted sources like the State Emergency Response Team, National Weather Service, and other federal, state, county and local government sites. Be aware that Artificial Intelligence or AI-generated images are being circulated on social media that depict made-up conditions on the ground.
Do your part to spread verified facts and avoid spreading rumors by doing three easy things:
- Find trusted sources of information.
- Share information from trusted sources.
- Discourage others from sharing information from unverified sources and question where information is coming from.
NC SERT, which includes local, state and federal partners, along with utility and cell phone companies, private businesses, non-profit relief agencies and volunteer organizations, is working to manage this unprecedented disaster in North Carolina. This is a massive, highly coordinated effort aimed at saving lives and speeding up recovery work for residents, visitors and businesses, and municipalities in the impacted areas.
The NC Army and Air National Guard, US Army, and US Coast Guard are a part of NC SERT and continue the critical mission of saving lives and providing humanitarian services to people in need in all the areas impacted by Helene.
NC SERT partners have pushed out an incredible number of resources and assets to help all individuals affected by Helene. Following is a summary of the response efforts:
- More than 740 state law enforcement along with countless federal, county and local law enforcement officers are deployed in Helene impacted areas.
- More than 1,200 North Carolina National Guard are currently deployed and the NCNG has been activated since before the storm.
- More than 70,000 people have registered for individual assistance through FEMA.
- Nearly $18 million have been disbursed and is in the hands of survivors.
- President Biden approved up to 1,000 active-duty military personnel who are deploying. Under Title X, active-duty equipment including helicopters has already been deployed.
- Search and rescue teams have conducted 2,615 rescue or search operations.
- More than 800 pallets consisting of 192,000 gallons of water was delivered on Thursday, Oct. 3. FEMA has delivered more than 5.4 million meals and 6.3 million liters of water.
- 22 shelters are currently opened with 1,162 occupants and 114 pets which includes three state-operated shelters.
- More than 800 people have been sheltered in hotel rooms through the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) Program.
Roadways in Western North Carolina should be considered closed per the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Traffic may be rerouted due to road closures and repair efforts, lifesaving, humanitarian and first responder operations or other safety reasons. NCDOT is currently utilizing the following resources to repair and clear the roadways:
- 1,300 employees and 70 contractors
- Approximately 1,300 trucks, graders and backhoes/loaders
- 900 chainsaws
- Approximately 5,000 barricades and signs
All volunteers should register at www.nc.gov/volunteer in order to best coordinate efforts with established disaster relief and humanitarian organizations currently working in Western North Carolina. For your safety, please do not self-deploy to Western North Carolina.
Additional information regarding verified donation opportunities can be found here: Best Ways to Donate in the Wake of Hurricane Helene. Please be sure that you are donating to trusted organizations.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is not confiscating donations or collecting donations for areas affected by Helene. Donations of food, water, or other goods are handled by voluntary agencies who specialize in storing, sorting, cleaning, and distributing donated items. If you are interested in donating materials to support those affected by Helene, check first with a reputable voluntary agency, nonprofit organization, or community organization that is working in the affected areas to understand what kind of donations are needed. FEMA also provides updated facts at Hurricane Helene: Rumor Response.
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