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How many people are still missing in western North Carolina five weeks after Hurricane Helene?
Previously, North Carolina Emergency Management kept track of missing people with a registry. It’s now up to individual counties.
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. — In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, North Carolina Emergency Management was keeping track of the number of missing people in western North Carolina. It utilized information from NC 211, where people could report an unaccounted person. However, that registry has since been closed.
State emergency representatives told WFMY News 2 this about the change: “With communications in western North Carolina improving, people should be reaching out to their local law enforcement office or 911 to report someone as unaccounted for, which is typically the standard procedure after an event.”
The official number of missing Helene victims has now been left up to each county to report. WFMY News 2 reached out to the Emergency Management offices in 30 western North Carolina counties for their current number of active missing persons investigations related to Helene.
Here’s what we found.
- Alexander: 0
- Alleghany: 0
- Ashe: 0
- Avery: 2 (Updated on 10/31: the number was 3 but a missing woman’s body was identified earlier this week)
- Buncombe: (Updated on 11/1: Buncombe Emergency Management referred us to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s office says the number of active missing persons cases is less than 10)
- Burke: 0
- Caldwell: 0
- Catawba: 0
- Cherokee: 0
- Clay: 0
- Cleveland: awaiting response
- Gaston: 0
- Graham: 0
- Haywood: 0
- Henderson: 0
- Jackson: 0
- Lincoln: 0
- Macon: 0
- Madison: 0
- McDowell: 0
- Mecklenburg: 0
- Mitchell: 1
- Polk: 0
- Rutherford: 0
- Swain: awaiting response from Swain County Emergency Management but the Swain County Sheriff’s Office says 0
- Transylvania: 0
- Watauga: 1
- Wilkes: 0
- Yadkin: 0
- Yancey: 3
Even though WFMY News 2 is still waiting for responses from some Emergency Management offices, the number of verified missing persons is vastly lower than claims made online. The Yancey County Public Information Officer addressed the discrepancy.
“We understand that rumors and claims are circulating about a larger number of missing persons, but we want to assure you that these reports are based on verified data from our emergency response teams,” said Aprel Wilson. “For anyone who believes they have a missing loved one, you should report this to Emergency Management immediately. Accurate and timely reporting helps us coordinate search efforts effectively and ensure that all individuals are accounted for. If you have any concerns or information about missing persons, please contact our Emergency Management team directly.”
Henderson County Emergency Management leaders shared this statement:
“If the public has “firsthand” knowledge of anyone who is missing they should contact their local authorities. Typically, that will be the Sheriff’s Office if they are in a county or a Police Department if they are within a city. The local law enforcement agency will coordinate with search and rescue resources as needed.”
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