Some in western North Carolina were cut off from help as Helene's devastation grew

On Saturday, videos and photos continued to pour in from western North Carolina, a region hit by historic flooding and whose residents faced life-threatening conditions from the impact of Tropical Storm Helene.

The once-in-a-lifetime storm and the rainfall that preceded it brought nearly a foot of rain in some places. On Saturday, the strain on the region's infrastructure was immense.

The extent of the damage became clearer after daybreak after many had spent the night in darkness. More than 700,000 people are without power and, in a rare event, the North Carolina Department of Transportation declared all roads in the western part of the state closed, leaving many with nowhere to go after one of the worst weather events the region has ever seen. There is no timeline for restoring power or cell phone coverage as of Saturday morning.

In Buncombe County, more than 5,500 calls were made to the local emergency dispatch center and more than 130 water rescue missions were carried out. Many are stranded and have no way to call for help as there is no electricity or running water, making the problem worse. The rain stopped on Friday afternoon, but the catastrophic effects will be felt for some time.

Some viewers contacted WRAL News to say they were unable to reach their loved ones in the mountains. Landslides and floods led to the closure of many roads. Communication methods were patchy as cell service from most major cell phone providers was unavailable to many. Small towns with limited roads such as Beech Mountain were inaccessible due to collapsed roads.

On Saturday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper called for a major disaster declaration from the federal government for North Carolina for 38 counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians for state public and individual assistance after Tropical Storm Helene dumped record rainfall over Asheville .

FEMA has sent four urban search and rescue teams to North Carolina. Local rescue workers did their best to assist in the rescue efforts, but the extent of the devastation was overwhelming. Department of Energy responders arrived at the North Carolina Emergency Operations Center.

It rained so much in the western part of the state that the official rain gauge in Asheville stopped measuring at a certain point Friday morning. Nevertheless, the 12.17 inches of rain recorded over a three-day period was the largest three-day rainfall total ever recorded in the city, with data stored since 1879.

The city of Asheville imposed a curfew Friday evening. All rivers in the area were at flood stage. Henderson County also imposed a nighttime curfew until conditions improved. The flooding was so strong and rapid that shipping containers, vehicles and entire houses were swept away by the floodwaters on Friday.

Asheville's historic Biltmore Village neighborhood was particularly hard hit, flooded by water from the nearby Swannanoa River.

The National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency for much of the area Friday morning, and some remain in effect Saturday.

“It’s pretty rare. In 2023, less than 1% of all flash flood warnings in the country were flash flood emergencies,” said WRAL meteorologist Chris Michaels. “That’s because we saw almost a foot of rain in Asheville.”

A portion of Interstate 40 was destroyed in Cocke County, Tennessee. Interstate 26 in North Carolina was impassable in several places. Road conditions presented technicians and first responders with unprecedented challenges in helping people.

Lake Lure, featured in the film “Dirty Dancing,” topped a dam and surrounding neighborhoods were evacuated, although there were no immediate concerns that the dam would fail. The event made Highway 67/74 impassable.

“Helene has brought pain and destruction to our state and we are working to get relief to people quickly,” said Governor Cooper. “As the water recedes and the winds die down, families and communities will need help with cleanup and recovery, and this request can help speed up the process.”

Boone's King Street was flooded Friday, affecting Parents' Weekend at Appalachian State University. App's home game against Liberty was canceled.

Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk is asking all members of the campus community to shelter in place until further notice. UNC Asheville suffered significant infrastructure damage from the flooding.

There were two known storm-related deaths in North Carolina on Friday. One occurred when a tree fell on a home in Charlotte. Another fatal crash occurred in Haywood County.

Meteorologists expect windy conditions for western North Carolina on Saturday, posing a risk for downed trees if the ground becomes saturated.

Linda Pryor, a farmer from western North Carolina, said she has never seen such flooding in her life.

“I remember my parents talking about a flood in 1916 and it was a very similar scenario where it was two systems in a row,” she said. “This is the first time I’ve experienced this firsthand.”

POWER OUTAGES: For outage information, visit poweroutage.us. As of 10 a.m. Saturday, there were more than 700,000 outages in North Carolina.

Shelters: The American Red Cross opened dozens of emergency shelters in the region. Search for emergency shelter locations here.

TRAFFIC: Visit drivenc.gov for current information on road closures. In general, driving is discouraged in Western North Carolina as the state considers closing all roads in the area.

AVAILABILITY OF MEALS: The Salvation Army is responding to food distribution requests. For more information, visit helpalvationarmy.org.