Relief operations continue in western NC; Power slowly being restored
Relief and recovery operations continue in western North Carolina.
According to a release from the governor's office, Governor Cooper will be in Jackson and Haywood counties to meet with those affected by the storm. He will also be thanking emergency personnel and volunteers for their work. Thursday, Cooper visited Ashe, Watauga and Avery counties.
"I met with hundreds of people in Ashe, Avery and Watauga counties and heard about the help they are getting and still need," he said in the release. "The resilience, compassion and determination of the people of Western North Carolina is inspiring and we will continue working around the clock to get them the help they need."
President Biden, Thursday, approved 100% FEMA reimbursement for six months. Over 36,000 people have registered for individual assistance through FEMA.
National Guard
Cooper has activated over 1,100 NC National Guard soldiers and airmen to conduct search and rescue operations, as well as deliver supplies to western North Carolina. As of Wednesday, 372 specialized vehicles and 26 aircrafts have been deployed
Biden approved the governor's request for active-duty personnel and equipment to support operations in the western part of the state. According to the governor's office, activation assets and other equipment from Fort Liberty have been deployed and up to 1,000 active-duty military personnel are expected to begin deploying.
Power Outages
Electricity is being slowly restored. According to the governor's office, across the region, approximately 259,000 customers remain without power as of Thursday. This is down from a peak of more than one million. Power has been restored to more than 700,000 customers.
Food and Water
According to the governor's office, FEMA has delivered over 5.4 million meals and 6.3 million liters of water.
Road Closures
As of Wednesday afternoon, approximately 500 roads remain closed.
NCDOT said people should refrain from unnecessary travel to or in the western part of the state. Road access is limited to local and hurricane response traffic as crews work. First responders also want to keep roads as clear as possible.