North Carolina Thursday recap: Cherokee marijuana biz open, dodged Helene's worst, worker says – citizen-times.com

(This article will be updated. Read our earlier coverage here.)
More areas of Western North Carolina were beginning to transition into recovery mode Wednesday after Tropical Storm Helene left communities devastated, roads impassable and thousands without power. Many local and state officials cautioned residents, saying a return to normalcy would take weeks, not days. The full scope of Helene’s devastation is not expected to be known for some time.
Check back for live updates as they roll in throughout the day Thursday.
Like many businesses in Cherokee, the Great Smoky Cannabis Co. remains open, though with reduced hours from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
“Everything held; everything is good here and at our farm,” Keisha Bowman, the security supervisor, told the Asheville Citizen Times Oct. 3.
Cherokee missed the worst of the storm’s effects. Most of the power is back throughout the area, and they’re currently sending resources to more ravaged communities, Michell Hicks, principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, said.
The Qualla Boundary – home to the Eastern Band – borders the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Swain, Jackson, Haywood, Graham and Cherokee Counties.
Bowman said her business, the state’s first recreational marijuana dispensary, is proving to be a source of relief for Western North Carolina residents who are still reeling from the storm.
“With everything going on — no internet, no phone, no roads, no water. … They still know they have things that they have to take care of, but it kind of just lets them release a little bit,” Bowman said.
The business is closed Monday and Tuesday.
— Douglas Soule, USA Today Network
Beacon Village is a close-knit neighborhood in Swannanoa, dating back a century and once home to workers for what had been the world’s largest blanket factory. It is filled with 77 bungalows.
Now, 11 are left livable.
Residents in the community about 11 miles east of Asheville were still reeling Thursday, digging out mud and debris after Tropical Storm Helene brought epic flooding to the mountain region. One person died when the floodwaters rushed in, but they’ve not yet been identified.
Read more about what happened in Beacon Hill here.
— Kelly Puente, USA Today Network
Buncombe County’s death toll grew from 61 to 72 people Thursday, Sheriff Quentin Miller said in the county’s 4 p.m. briefing. The announcement takes North Carolina’s death toll into the triple digits with at least 108 people confirmed dead, officials said.
Miller said Thursday there are still more than 200 people missing in Buncombe County as search efforts continue.
— Staff Reports
Appalachian State University, the largest public university in Western North Carolina, has canceled classes through Oct. 15, the university announced on its website. Another update will be shared Oct. 9 on the status of classes for the remainder of the semester, officials said.
The school has roughly 6,000 on-campus students who live in residence halls, and about 1,000 were on campus as of Oct. 2, according to a post from the school.
No residence halls were structurally compromised, according to the university website, but images show extensive flooding across the campus in different areas along Boone Creek. Dining halls, residence halls, Plemmons Student Union, student health services and campus markets will remain open.
— Staff Reports
Wondering about what areas are open, off limits in WNC in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene? From state parks to the Biltmore Estate, even whole counties, we’ve compiled a list of need to know information to help keep you informed. Whether you’re a resident or someone who’s looking to visit, it’s important to know beforehand whether you can go. Find the full list here.
— Sarah Riley, USA Today Network
Cotton Global Disaster Solutions will be distributing free water and boxed lunches beginning at 10 a.m. Friday until supplies last at Asheville High School, 419 McDowell Street.
Dubbed “Healing After Helene,” the team includes more than 150 members stocked with 3,000 cases of water and 1,000 boxed lunches, brought into Asheville from Texas, according to an email from a company spokesperson.
Cotton Global Disaster Solutions team members have been in the area providing services such as water mitigation, installing temporary generators and managing temporary housing in the wake of Helene, the spokesperson said.
— Staff Reports
In the wake of Helene, some WNC residents are sharing stories of survival.
David Jagielski was camping under the Amboy Bridge in Asheville and woke the morning of Sept. 26, surrounded by water on all sides. He sat through the day and night, waiting for the water to recede, still it rose. Outside his concrete alcove, a once-in-a-generation storm raged. The homeless man had to swim to safety in order to survive. Read his story here.
John’s son, Brandon Young, lost his mobile home despite it being placed above the 100-year flood plain ­­­­— a designation created by FEMA to measure the statistical likelihood of a record flood. With record rains from Helene, Brandon Young’s house was practically “bobbing” on the water, his sister Lorissa Cannon said. The Young family is one of many in Appalachia facing uncertain futures after Helene. Find their stories here.
Asheville Christian football coach Rusty Bradley spent 33 hours, starting Sept. 25, traveling from North Carolina, to South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. Read his story here.
— Sarah Honosky, Will Hofmann and Austin Chastain, Citizen-Times
Most of the victims of Tropical Storm Helene have not yet been publicly identified, at least not officially, but some families and communities are coming forward to talk about their lost loved ones and share details about how they died.
In Asheville, Samira Zoobi, 28, was confirmed dead by her mother late Wednesday.
Colette Zoobi said her daughter was in her apartment unit at Riverview Apartments on Rivers Edge Road near Tunnel Road and off the Swannanoa River during Helene on Sept. 27. The water was rising, and rescuers were trying to get residents to safety when the building collapsed into the river. Read the full story here.
The Rollins community of Marshall was ravaged in Tropical Storm Helene flooding and destruction. A North Rollins neighbor, Bruce Tipton, died in the devastation after being swept into the river. Now, his neighbors are focused on helping each other with emotional and physical support. Read the full story here.
— Tiana Kennell and Johnny Casey, Citizen-Times
Looking for a hot meal, water or other supplies or food boxes? There’s now a comprehensive county by county listing for all of WNC to assist in the effort. Find it here.
FEMA is on the ground. The nation’s top Incident Management Team is here from New York City. Electricity is slowly coming back, and resources are getting distributed with greater reach, but WNC is still in crisis and the extent of the damage is still being assessed.
Recovery briefings are broadcast at 88.1 FM and on Buncombe County’s Facebook page at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day.
For updated city information each day, click here.  For updated County information, click here.
FINDING THE MISSING
For those missing a family member or friend, please complete this form to notify Buncombe Co. officials. Officials are doing their best to locate and update current statuses at the Buncombe Co. Register of Deeds office, 205 College St., Asheville.  
Other organizations are also working on missing persons requests: The United Way is conducting welfare checks and active searches. Please use this form to connect with United Way’s reunification program. The Red Cross has helpful tips for getting in touch and, if you are looking for people who have not been found, you can use this form. People can also request wellness checks by texting “Person” to 40403. That goes to NC 211 and the texter will get a link to a form.
URGENT CARE SERVICES
Mercy Urgent Care has walk-in locations open at the following addresses from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.:• West Asheville: 1201 Patton Ave.• Weaverville: 61 Weaver Blvd.• Brevard: 22 Trust Lane• Waynesville: 120 Frazier St.• Foothills: 140 W Mills St.
Novant Go-Health Urgent Care, 349 New Leicester Highway, is open from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Please note, these facilities treat non-life-threatening conditions. For emergencies, dial 911.
TRASH AND RECYCLING
Residents can take trash to the county landfill, 85 Panther Branch Road in Alexander. Wastepro is scheduled to announce about Friday pick up Thursday. Also on Thursday, Wastepro will have three drop off locations for trash. Storm debris will not be collected. Here are the sites:
DISASTER UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AVAILABLE
People in Buncombe County who are unemployed as a direct result of Hurricane Helene may be eligible for unemployment benefits. Business owners and self-employed individuals affected by the storm may also qualify for benefits.• People have 60 days from Oct. 1 to file an application for DUA at des.nc.gov. The deadline to apply is Dec. 2, 2024. If you are not able to file through the website, you can call the DUA Hotline at 919-629-3857.• To get DUA benefits, all required documentation must be submitted within 21 days from the day the DUA application is filed. DES will work with people who cannot provide all documentation to ensure that their unemployment benefits are not delayed.
— Staff Reports
Helene’s death toll hit 200 Thursday, making it the fourth deadliest hurricane to make landfall in the mainland United States since 1950.  It’s the deadliest hurricane in the U.S. since Katrina in 2005. 
In North Carolina, search and rescue efforts are continuing as the death toll reached at least 97 Thursday, officials confirmed. And the number of deaths could climb higher here as communities devastated by Helene begin the recovery process.
Only eight hurricanes have killed more than 100 people since 1950.
The deadliest hurricanes, based on National Hurricane Center information, are listed below by their rank, name, year and number of deaths.
— USA TODAY reporting and staff
Henderson County has seen nine deaths as a result of Tropical Storm Helene, Chief Communications Officer Mike Morgan confirmed Thursday, bringing North Carolina closer to a triple digit death toll.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported six deaths in Henderson County, as of Wednesday evening.
The additional three deaths in Henderson County brings the state’s total to at least 97, officials say.
Morgan could not release the identities of any of his county’s dead or comment on how they died, he said Thursday.
“We’re in rescue mode— still shifting slowly out of that,” Morgan said. He did not know the exact number of people who remain unaccounted for, but noted, “We’ve gotten to a lot of them.” 
— Staff Reports
The death toll in Western North Carolina had risen to at least 94 people Thursday with officials saying the number could climb even higher as search efforts continued throughout the region.
In hard-hit Buncombe County, 61 deaths had been confirmed so far, according to Sheriff Quentin Miller.
Avery County Manager Philip Barrier on Tuesday confirmed five deaths from Helene floodwaters after false information began circulating on social media, claiming 200 people had died in the county seat of Newland.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reports the following deaths in the following counties:
— Staff Reports
Henderson County staff were assisting people in Bat Cave and Gerton Thursday morning, Chief Communications Officer Mike Morgan said, noting, “That portion of [U.S. Route] 64 is still the hardest hit. We are replenishing supplies as we can.”
Flyers posted in the area let viewers scan a QR code that leads to a list of resources. 
Free, hot meals would continue to be served twice daily — at noon and 5 p.m. — until further notice at Etowah Elementary School, East Henderson High, North Henderson High and Mills River Town Hall. Those are four of the county’s six Resource Hub locations where water and supplies like food, diapers and pet food are being distributed free of charge. The other two are located at Fletcher Town Hall and Rugby Middle School. 
Morgan said people should continue to check VisithendersonvilleNC.org/helene-relief and Henderson County’s social media channels for updates. 
— Staff Reports
Earth Fare plans to give away more than $500,000 worth of food Thursday in the parking lot of its Asheville store, 66 Westgate Pkwy.
The company reports that it has about 10,000 individual meal kits (including vegetarian options) in four flavors to disburse to individuals and families starting at 11 a.m.. Boiling water is required to prepare the meals. The kits are limited to six per person, but officials are happy to accommodate for larger families if necessary, the company said in a Wednesday release announcing the giveaway, which was organized in partnership with supplier Inland Foods.
— Staff Reports
The North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections said another 800 people who were incarcerated at the Mountain View Correctional Institute in Spruce Pine and from Craggy Correctional Center in Asheville were evacuated from the facilities on Wednesday. The men at both correctional facilities were sent to other locations in the state.
The department is asking family and friends not to call the prisons to check on loved ones, noting that everyone is safe.
Adult corrections have evacuated more than 2,000 people from five different facilities in the western part of the state this week due to the lack of water and power in the area.
For more information, including details on where the inmates were sent, read the full story here.
— Joyce Orlando, USA Today Network
Several churches, businesses and organizations are providing hot meals to those impacted by Tropical Storm Helene in Western North Carolina. Here’s a list of known locations and when people can visit:
Haywood County
Clyde Central United Methodist Church, 410 Charles Street, is offering meals from noon-6 p.m. daily, a Haywood County government spokesperson said in a Wednesday email.
Buncombe County
Tupelo Honey’s South Asheville Store, at 1829 Hendersonville Road, will serve free hot meals from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., or until supplies run out, each day for at least five days, possibly more, beginning on Thursday, Amanda Stevens announced Wednesday.
Tyson Foods will bring a Meals that Matter Disaster Relief team to Weaverville in northern Buncombe County later this week to distribute hot meals, water and ice. Volunteers will be set up at the Walmart Supercenter, 25 Northridge Commons Parkway, from noon-5 p.m. on Friday and from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. daily beginning Saturday.
Transylvania County
Daily, 9-11 a.m., noon-2 p.m., 4-6 p.m. Hot meals at Cedar Mountain Community Center, 10635 Greenville Highway.Daily until power is restored, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Balsam Grove Community Center, 8732 Parkway Road.Daily, noon-2 p.m. Meals at Bread of Life, 238 S. Caldwell St.Through Friday, Oct. 4, 1-4 p.m. Hot meal from Smoke On at Champion Park parking lot, 38 Main St., Rosman.Through Saturday, Oct. 5, 1noon-4 p.m. Hot food, water and supplies at Destiny Church, 48 Tiptop Road.Through Friday, Oct. 4, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Hot meal and food distribution by the Hunger Coalition at The Family Place, 970 Old Hendersonville Highway.Friday, Oct. 4, 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 5, 8 a.m. and noon. Meal and supplies at Rosman High School old gym, 749 Pickens Highway.Saturday, Oct. 5, noon-5 p.m. Hot food at Bethel A Church, 290 Oakdale St.
— Staff Reports
The University of North Carolina at Asheville’s campus will be closed through at least Oct. 14 with classes not expected to resume until at least Oct. 28 due to a lack of electricity, running water and internet, Chancellor Kimberly van Noort said in an Oct. 1 update.
All traditional university operations are suspended, and only essential employees are permitted on campus, but van Noort clarified that school isn’t out for the semester, with academic continuity planning in the works and more information to come as assessments continue.
“We have heard from many members of our extended UNC Asheville community who are eager to support our campus,” van Noort said in the update posted to X, the site formerly known as Twitter. “Your messages of solidarity and generous offers of assistance are greatly appreciated. As we continue to assess our needs and recovery efforts, a UNC Asheville Disaster relief fund has been established. Your contributions will support the entire campus community.”
The UNCA disaster relief fund is available at giving.unca.edu.
— Staff Reports
As Wednesday came to a close, the death toll in Western North Carolina was up to at least 73 people, officials were reporting.
Buncombe County added four new deaths Wednesday afternoon, bringing its total to 61, Sheriff Quentin Miller said.
So far, six deaths have been confirmed in Henderson County, one in Macon County and five in Avery County in addition to the Buncombe deaths.
Wellness checks were continuing across the region.
— Staff Reports
Buncombe County provided a comprehensive update Wednesday evening that included details on shelters, water, food distribution, law enforcement and other recovery information.
The update also included specific information for Asheville and Weaverville.
Here’s everything to know:
Shelter Updates
Power Outages
Duke Energy is reporting that 91,000 customers remain without power. The utility expects the majority of what can be restored to be back online Friday. Two submerged substations in Swannanoa will take months to repair. But, mobile substations will be arriving soon to address the situation. Wi-Fi is now available at Enka Candler Public Library. Use the password “readmore.”
BeLoved Asheville Donations: Donations are no longer being accepted at this site.
Weaverville Update
A boil advisory is in effect, please conserve water. If you cannot boil water, add 8 drops of bleach to a gallon of water. Water is being distributed at North Windy Ridge Intermediate School, 20 Doan Road in Weaverville. Bring your own water containers.
Pantry items and water will be available at Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lakeshore Drive in Weaverville, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Thursday. Donations will be accepted from 3-4 p.m.
Garbage collection will resume Oct. 7. A Mobile PNC Bank ATM is on Weaver Boulevard. T-Mobile is establishing an area for Wi-Fi and phone charging behind Tractor Supply, 14 Monticello Road in Weaverville.
Asheville Update
Water for flushing toilets will be available at Asheville JCC Pool, 40 Clyde Street, on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon. Enter from Clyde Street and pull up to the pool gate on North Crescent Street.
Water System
Work continues to restore water, with many roads not accessible for crews to make repairs.
Water Treatment Plants
Distribution Systems
The damage to water distribution systems is extensive, even if plants are operational, water can’t be delivered to the community if distribution systems are not available. Crews are making repairs to inaccessible areas as soon as possible.
Law Enforcement Update
The Asheville Police Department (APD) is under full patrol staffing. Many officers are working overtime to ensure safety. APD is also getting support from other police departments. Work includes guarding food and distribution sites, critical infrastructure, medical facilities, as well as drone and search operations, the recovery of the bodies of our neighbors who have lost their lives, welfare checks, and reunification with families.
A reminder that when intersection traffic lights are not working, it becomes a four-way stop.
The curfew remains in effect from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
— Staff Reports
This story was updated to add a video.

source