(This article will be updated. Read our earlier coverage here.)
Relief efforts continue in Asheville and the Western North Carolina area where a major disaster due to Tropical Storm Helene has left communities devastated, roads impassable and thousands without power.
Check back for live updates as they roll in throughout the day Sunday.
12:10 p.m. Gov. Roy Cooper to hold press conference. Watch here.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and emergency management officials will share updates on Hurricane Helene during a press conference at 12:30 PM today. You can watch it below.
12 p.m. Buncombe County receives 6,000 requests for wellness checks
As of this morning, Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger said they had received more than 6,000 requests from family members seeking a wellness check on someone who is missing or can't be reached. 3,900 of those people are in Buncombe County, while the rest are in other parts of Western North Carolina.
The Family Assistance Form can be found at https://bit.ly/3BjnVWq. You can also call 828-820-2761.
11:50 a.m. Record rainfall in Asheville
National Weather Service Meteorologist Doug Outlaw told the Citizen Times that the rainfall WNC saw beat the previous record for September in only three days.
Here are the rainfall amounts recorded for several WNC areas between Sept. 25-27 according to NWS records:
Spruce Pine - 24.12 inchesHendersonville - 21.96 inchesCandler - 16.18 inchesGrandfather Mountain - 15.42 inchesAsheville - 17.31 inchesWoodfin - 6.17 inchesBat Cave - 6.88 inchesLake Lure - 7.24 inchesMills River - 12.16 inchesSwannanoa - 13.21 inches
11:45 a.m.: Scattered showers expected tonight
After several days of devastating flooding in WNC, flood and flash flood warnings are beginning to end. In Asheville, one flood warning for the Swannanoa River at Biltmore affecting Buncombe County remains active until 1 p.m. Sept. 29.
Some scattered showers are expected today into tonight - and while the rainfall amounts are expected to remain light this time - less than 1 inch in Asheville - the National Weather Service warned that isolated excessive runoff is possible for areas that received heavy rainfall and flooding from Helene.
11:30 a.m.: 10 confirmed deaths in Buncombe Count
There have been 10 confirmed deaths in Buncombe County as aresult of Tropical Storm Helene, the sheriff said at a Sept. 29, 10 a.m. briefing.
Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller said the county would not release names at this time.
"Without more phone and internet access, we cannot share those names without being absolutely certain that we have given their loved ones this information," Miller said. "Our hearts are broken with this news and we ask that folks give our community the space and time to grieve this incredible loss."
11:10 a.m.: Travel nearly impossible in Western North Carolina
At least 200 roads are closed in North Carolina as of Sunday morning, including Interstate 40 and Interstate 26 at the Tennessee-North Carolina border, according to the state's road closures map. The I-40 closure near the state line is termed long-term. I-40 also is closed at Old Fort Mountain. NCDOT estimates it will reopen there by noon Tuesday, Oct. 1.
You can follow road closures atdrivenc.gov. State emergency officials have warned people not to travel in or to Western North Carolina.
11:05 a.m.: Attorney General Josh Stein warns of price gouging
Attorney General Josh Stein reminded North Carolinians Sunday that it is against the law to unreasonably overcharge for goods and services during a state of emergency.
Residents can report price gouging or other Helene-related concerns to the North Carolina Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or www.ncdoj.gov/pricegouging.
10:55 a.m.: Schools announce Monday closures
Though information on school closures in Western North Carolina is still sparse, several schools have now issued alerts in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene.
Asheville City Schools will be closed on Monday, Sept. 30, and Tuesday, Oct. 1.
Buncombe County Schools will be closed for students Monday, Sept. 30 and Tuesday, Oct. 1. Both days are annual leave days for staff.
Jackson County Schools will be closed for students Monday, Sept. 30-Wednesday, Oct. 2. Oct. 2 is a planned staff development day.
10:45 a.m.: Families wait in line for water in West Ashville
Brandi Hayes, 37, stood in a long, snaking line of people outside the Ingles Markets grocery store on Haywood Road in West Asheville Sept. 29 hoping to buy water, bread and other essential food items.
Shea Davis, the store’s manager, told the Citizen a few minutes later, the store was nearly out of water, bread and charcoal. When the store opened at 7:30 a.m. dozens of people were already waiting in line, he said.
By 10 a.m. Sept. 29, no information about water distribution sites had been provided by the county.
10:20 a.m.: Most flights canceled at Asheville Regional Airport
Many flights at the Asheville Regional Airport Sept. 29 are still canceled as airlines struggle with the recovery of phone service and internet access, according to an update from an Asheville Regional Airport Tina Kinsey.
All Delta flights before noon Sept. 29 have been canceled and no other airlines are currently operating.
While some flights and airlines may resume service as connections come back online, the airport is urging passengers to check with their airlines about the status of their flight. Asheville Regional Airport's website is not updating accurately with flight information at the moment.
Biden declares major disaster aid in North Carolina
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the state of North Carolina, according to a Saturday White House press release.
The president’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the following counties and areas: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
Asheville water distribution sites: What we know
The county is working to open water distribution sites and will announce the sites when they open, said Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder.
“We expect to have that up and running by tomorrow,” Pinder said.
“We continue to be without water, for most, without power and without cell service.”
Buncombe County Emergency Services Assistant Director Ryan Cole said Highway Patrol is trying to escort “needed supplies” and resources into the area.
