'All-hands-on-deck operation,' Cooper says; NC's Helene death toll at 88

The North Carolina National Guard said Tuesday night that it was investigating after a video widely circulating on social media appeared to show a Black Hawk helicopter's rotor wash blowing away relief supplies set up by civilians in western North Carolina.

The viral video, taken Tuesday in the Burnsville area, set off a firestorm of anger and conspiracy theories on social media as tents, papers and other supply items were blown away.

In a statement, the NC National Guard said it "was aware of an incident involving an NCNG UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during a delivery of generators at the request of a local civilian organization to power their distribution outpost in western North Carolina.

"While attempting to land, rotor wash caused items to blow away from the local distribution set up by a group of civilians in the area. The crew immediately identified the situation, aborted the landing for safety reasons, and departed the area."

The NCNG added that the incident remains under investigation and the Black Hawk's crew has been grounded until the investigation is completed.

"The NCNG is working with the identified local civilian organization to assess the level of damage caused by the rotor wash," the Guard added, "Safety is the NCNG's number one priority, especially with the high volume of air operations currently happening across the region. While the NCNG strives for precision in every mission, sometimes things don't go as planned.

"When that happens, the NCNG takes it very seriously and are committed to addressing and correcting any issues to prevent future occurrences."

When Helene hit McDowell County, the whole area was covered by water and landslides. The town of Old Fort has been quick to clear the roads and get residents moving again but there are piles of debris left behind from homes, some of them gutted, some of them completely gone.

The people still here are trying to figure out what's next.

The town of Old Fort has been quick to clear the roads and get residents moving again but piles of debris remain.

China Langford rode out the storm as water began to fill her house. Realizing it was too late to evacuate, she and her dog tried to go to the second floor of her sister's home next door.

"By the time we decided we should evacuate that house, it was about up to our waists," Langford said. "And the three of us and our dog just hugged the side of the cinder-block building here so we could get to our neighbor's carport. And then we stood there about 3 hours."

They made it out, but their home is considered unlivable until they can decide whether it's worth repairing.

While homeowners here are still waiting for FEMA assistance, town leaders in Old Fort are also working to get the water back on, get all the shops and restaurants back open and the town up and running

They are also working to get schools back in session as soon as this week.

Eleven family members living in what is known to locals in Fairview, North Carolina, as Craigtown are part of the more than 200 people killed by Helene.

"It's unrecognizable now, but this is where I was born and raised," Jesse Craig said to ABC11 as he walked Diane Wilson through the destruction of his hometown.

Jesse and his wife MeKenzie are still grappling with the life-altering nature of this storm.

"We'll never make sense of it. You know, it's our community and our town. I don't -- I don't know that it'll ever be the same," MeKenzie said. "It's been that life-altering a situation."

Craigtown is a remote part of western North Carolina that's now even harder to get to due to Helene.

A mudslide caused by Helene left a path of destruction through Craigtown, erasing several homes and killing everyone who was inside them.

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Airbnb said Tuesday that it is offering relief for people displaced by hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The company is offering free, temporary housing to those displaced or who were forced to evacuate from their homes. The organization is seeking volunteers who can offer a place to stay to those fleeing the region ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall on Wednesday.

In just more than a week, Airbnb has provided access to free housing for more than 2,400 people displaced by Helene. Airbnb said it will continue to support Helene relief efforts in North Carolina, Florida and South Carolina.

People who have homes or space available can sign up through Airbnb or they can donate to Airbnb. The company said 100% of donations go toward covering the cost of temporary stays. All one-time donations will be matched 100 percent by Airbnb until Nov. 1.

Learn more here.