YANCEY COUNTY, N.C. — The Yancey County Sheriff's Office is responding to the aftermath of Helene with help from departments in Stanly, Catawba, Chatham, Alamance, and Wayne counties. A statewide mutual aid plan was already activated.
Police forces from Burnsville and Stanfield are joined by the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, FEMA, and the National Guard on the ground giving ongoing recovery support to locals.
The Blue Ridge Regional Hospital is operational while running on a generator, and a federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team has set up in the hospital's parking lot to assist with medical care. The Yancey County EMS Director ordered an ambulance strike team and several ALS units in response to increased calls for service.
A second emergency shelter site has opened at Cane River Middle School after the Blue Ridge Elementary School reached capacity. Officials from Yancey County said a third shelter site may be opened depending on need. The American Red Cross is helping manage these shelter sites.
While some cell phone towers are operational, crews are actively cleaning roads of debris from the storm to access other towers that are difficult for them to reach. Power is beginning to return in areas that are safely able to receive electricity.
The Burnsville Public Works is in the process of getting the water plant back running. Engineers, contractors, and crews are working to get pumps in place to bring water back into the plant.
The wastewater treatment plant needs major repairs, and engineers have been brought in to expedite the repairs while the plant is offline.
Point of distribution sites are giving out water, MREs, and ice. The sites are operating out of fire stations, and there are plans to centralize the sites to two main locations with preparations for the transition already being made.
Yancey County said all volunteer donations are being directed to Altec and will be distributed from there.
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