Governor Roy Cooper gives Helene relief briefing at Asheville airport: 'so much more to do'

Nearly every aspect of life has been affected by Helene in western North Carolina. Though saving lives, restoring services and reopening roads are the top priorities, there are countless other important needs.

To that end, North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler issued an urgent plea Thursday for donations of fencing supplies for livestock producers in that hard-hit part of the state.

"We have seen time and time again our agriculture community support one another in times of need, and this is no different," Troxler said. "We are seeing an outpouring of support with hay, animal feed, fencing and other supplies that are going out to those needing these resources. In the days ahead, we know we are going to need even more fencing supplies, especially solar fence chargers to help livestock producers. If you have resources to donate, please go to our website to let us know."

If you can help, or if you need help, you can visit the Disaster Hay and Livestock Assistance Portal. The form asks if you need help or want to help. To donate click on the "Want to Help" button, then you will be asked for contact information and items you have to donate.

Various donation collection sites have been set up in and around western North Carolina. For a list of these sites that are being continuously updated, visit this link.

Dozens of residents were left trapped and several are dead after unprecedented mudslides in the wake of Hurricane Helene in Yancey County.

In Burnsville, homes appeared to be in a post-apocalyptic state nearly two weeks after remnants of the storm tore through the area.

Hundreds of people who lost everything due to flooding gathered at the Red Cross emergency shelter that's set up in Blue Ridge Elementary School.

Chris Morgan is a local pastor and lost a family member in the mudslide. He told ABC11 he's been working non-stop since the storm.

"You just have to love on people. It's tough because it's heartbreaking, we see good things -we see families reunited, and then we see families divide," said Morgan.

Burnsville native Pam Burgin is also on the front lines of the relief efforts, despite losing her mother-in-law in a landslide last week. Burgin is a supervisor with the local social services and said she's been overwhelmed but determined to push forward.

Mainly for all of these people, we just show them kindness," she said. "You show them kindness, you show them love. And right now, that's been really what they've needed."

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper addressed the media on Thursday, expressing gratitude to Appalachian State University for opening its Coliseum as a shelter for those affected by recent storms in western North Carolina.

Cooper emphasized that the university is working hard to keep its students safe and pledged support for families impacted by the disaster. The university will not resume classes until at least the end of fall break on Oct. 16.

The governor visited the devastated areas in Abraham County and acknowledged the significant response efforts by his administration and federal agencies.

"We've surged hundreds of thousands of pounds of food and water into these communities, and our teams are on the ground providing search and rescue efforts," Cooper said. He urged anyone aware of those needing help to notify officials immediately.

When asked about infrastructure damage, Cooper described "complete devastation" to roads, bridges, and water systems.

"Our focus right now is on restoring primary arteries for supplies, medical aid, and utility crews," he said, noting that billions of dollars will be required to fully rebuild the region's infrastructure. "We need to rebuild in a more resilient way, understanding that this kind of destruction is now a real possibility."

Cooper said the death toll in North Carolina stands at 60, which he said is expected to rise. One of the most pressing issues remains I-40, which is closed due to landslides.

"Fixing this will be a significant expense," he said.

Mike Fox, Chair of the State Board of Transportation, provided updates on other roads, confirming that I-26 is open in North Carolina but remains closed in Tennessee. Relief efforts are underway, but Cooper stressed that recovery will be a long-term process.

"We know people will need assistance for a while, especially with power and water systems down," he said, adding that over 1,000 National Guard troops and 32 aircraft are delivering supplies daily.

Sheriffs from Orange County and Chatham County checked in with sheriffs in western North Carolina to make sure they were getting the help they need responding to Helene damage.

Sheriff Charles Blackwood of Orange County sat down with ABC11 to talk about that trip. He said it didn't take long to see the devastation.

The trip was a chance for local law enforcement to offer assistance to areas hard hit by the storm.

"Itt was obvious that the river or the creek ... that we were crossing, which was not large, had been about eight or nine feet above that level," Blackwood said. "The impact of the devastation, although we were in an elevated area of the city, was noticed and once we got to the sheriff's office and talked to some of the personnel there, we heard horror stories about what had gone on and saw a lot of pictures.

Blackwood said one sheriff in the region said he wasn't sure what they needed because they're still trying to assess all the damage and what needs to be done.

"It was it was heartbreaking to think that those folks were having to go through that," Blackwood said.

Blackwood also talked about how first responders in the area were understandably worn out. They have been working around-the-clock, often without power, to help the community. Those groups are now stretched thin and running on fumes.

Blackwood expects it will take a while before things get back to normal in western North Carolina.

"This is not going to be a sprint. This is going to be a marathon, a long marathon, a triple marathon. And I see this recovery (as) years rather than months looking at the damage to infrastructure, highways, gas lines, power lines, cell towers," he said. "From our standpoint, it's just complete devastation and we don't know where to start."