More than a week after Helene dumped over two feet of rain on parts of southern Appalachia, the death toll continues to rise. Officials say flooding, landslides and collapsed homes caused many of the deaths in Western North Carolina counties, and some have died from a "lack of basic necessities."
Helene was a Category 4 hurricane when it made landfall in Florida the night of Sept. 27. And, being the third hurricane in 13 months in the state’s Big Bend region, it was widely expected to wreak havoc there.
But as Helene was downgraded to a tropical storm in far inland in Western North Carolina, many considered the region to be relatively safe. Asheville, specifically, has even been referred to as a “climate haven,” because the area typically avoids wildfires in the west and storm surges on the coasts.
So why did the area experience what Gov. Roy Cooper called an “unprecedented tragedy”?
With recovery efforts ongoing, we get an update on the area and learn why the state was unprepared for such a storm.
GUESTS:
Jason Boyer, meteorologist for WLOS in Asheville
Laura Hackett, reporter for Blue Ridge Public Radio
Zeb Smathers, mayor of Canton, N.C.
