Over 90 People Are Still Unaccounted For In North Carolina After Hurricane Helene

The tally comes more two weeks after flash floods and mudslides hit western parts of the state, with at least 95 people dead, officials said.

At least 92 people are still unaccounted for and over 5,000 remain in temporary housing in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene hit the southeastern U.S. late last month, officials said Tuesday, calling it the state’s “worst disaster.”

The tally of missing people, which comes more than two weeks after flash floods and mudslides ripped through the state’s mountainous western region, is expected to change as recovery efforts continue, Gov. Roy Cooper said at a press conference.

“The number will continue to fluctuate as more reports come in and others are resolved,” he told reporters, adding that authorities “will continue working to locate those who are unaccounted for.”

Members of the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been combing the storm debris with canine search teams that the agency has said are trained to detect living and deceased humans, including people buried deep in rubble.

Those aiding the efforts include more than 1,500 first responders from 38 states, said Will Ray, North Carolina’s public safety emergency management director, who called Helene “our state’s worst disaster.”