Tragic: 1,000 People Reported Unaccounted for in North Carolina County Hit Hardest by Hurricane Helene

More than 1,000 people have been reported unaccounted for in a devastated North Carolina county where 30 people have already been confirmed dead after Hurricane Helene, officials said Sunday.

Authorities in Buncombe County reported the horrifying toll in an emergency meeting announcing emergency medical shelters and ongoing rescue efforts in areas almost overwhelmed by stormwater.

They also announced a special website to appeal for help finding those unaccounted for — with “more than 1,000 reports so far,” one local official told the live-streamed meeting.

“We’re doing the best we can,” Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller said of conditions making it almost impossible to reach the stranded due to collapsed roads, failing infrastructure and widespread flooding.

Many of the unaccounted for are hoped to just be those without electricity and efforts to let loved ones know they are safe, officials said. (Read more from “Tragic: 1,000 People Reported Unaccounted for in North Carolina County Hit Hardest by Hurricane Helene” HERE)