UPDATE 5:00 PM ET

During an afternoon update, Asheville Fire Chief Michael Cayse said his department is still in search and rescue mode in the aftermath of Helene. Cayse said teams will be working into the night searching for victims. Local teams are being assisted by state and federal teams with search and rescue dogs. He says there have been many challenges, including communications and ability to move around the area due to infrastructure damage.

UPDATE 4:40 PM ET:

Nearly all commercial flights into the Asheville Regional Airport have been canceled in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene. Officials say that flights will also be disrupted tomorrow because of communication issues that have also taken down the airport website. Travelers are advised to check with their airline before heading to the Asheville airport to make sure their flight is still scheduled to depart. If there is a bright spot, parking lots at the airport are not under water, and those who may have left their car there should be able to get out once they arrive home.

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Duke Energy says workers continue to encounter major challenges accessing areas across the North Carolina mountains and Upstate of South Carolina, limiting the company’s ability to assess damage and provide customers with estimates for when power is likely to be restored. Duke Energy is working with local and state officials to gain access to the hardest-hit areas where roads are obstructed. The company is also supplementing its damage assessment efforts with helicopters and drones and will publish estimated power restoration times as soon as possible.

“Historic flooding, debris and road closures remain an incredible challenge to assessing the severe damage to our system and restoring power in the North Carolina mountains and South Carolina Upstate,” said Jason Hollifield, Duke Energy storm director for the Carolinas. “Our crews appreciate our customers’ patience and support as they continue working around the clock to safely and quickly restore power.”

As of 1 p.m. on Saturday, Duke Energy has restored power to 723,000 Carolinas customers impacted by Helene. This includes more than 544,000 customers in North Carolina and 178,000 in South Carolina.

Approximately 1.1 million customers – 539,000 in North Carolina and 597,000 in South Carolina – remain without power. The vast majority of these outages are in the western portions of each state.

The company serves more than 4.5 million customers in the Carolinas, including 3.7 million in North Carolina and 835,500 in South Carolina.

Duke Energy lineworkers, tree trimmers and other storm support workers started assessing damage and restoring power before Helene even exited the Carolinas on Friday afternoon. Workers will continue to assess damage – with the help of helicopters and drones in the hardest-hit areas – and restore power until every customer who can safely receive power is back on line.

Information on estimated restoration times is continually updated on Duke Energy’s Outage Maps tool.

UPDATE 4:20 PM ET:

Officials in Rutherford County, North Carolina have used helicopters to rescue in the Lake Lure / Chimney Rock Village area. Emergency Management officials say they have successfully airlifted several citizens who were stranded because of rising water. On Friday Authorities went house-to-house urging people below the dam of the popular lake to evacuate after officials feared that it might give way. Authorities now believe the dam will survive the flooding.

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People in the Swannanoa River valley in Asheville are under a mandatory evacuation order due to flooding caused by the activation of the North Fork Reservoir's auxiliary spillway. The City of Asheville is urging all residents in the affected area who have not already evacuated to move to higher ground. Those in need of assistance with evacuation should call 911. A shelter has been established at the Harrah's Cherokee Center in downtown Asheville. The evacuation is a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of residents as more water is expected to flow downstream into the Swannanoa River.

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Brother Wolf Animal Rescue in Asheville issued an urgent plea for the community to foster animals as they were forced to evacuate their facility due to flooding. They are specifically seeking foster families for 75 cats until possibly next Tuesday. The animal shelter says those interested in fostering can contact friends@bwar.org. Brother Wolf Animal Rescue will provide all necessary supplies. Financial contributions and supply donations are also welcomed to support the animals in need.

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UPDATE 4:00 PM ET:

North Carolina U.S. Senator Thom Tillis says North Carolina's full Congressional delegation has come together to urge President Biden to quickly approve the Governor’s request for a major disaster declaration.

"We hope it is expeditiously granted and we’ll continue to work on a bipartisan basis to help WNC recover and rebuild," said Tillis. "The devastation across Western North Carolina is incomprehensible. While the most important thing now is saving lives, communities impacted should know your members of Congress are ready to work together to secure federal long-term recovery assistance and do everything we can to make you whole again."

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Officials at the University of North Carolina say there is significant tree damage on campus and some areas are inaccessible. Despite the damage, all students and staff are reportedly safe, although cell phone and internet coverage is nonexistent. The University is providing security, food and water to the students that remain on campus.

U-N-C Asheville says approximately one quarter of students living on campus left before the storm, leaving around 1,200 still on campus. He said school staff went door-to-door after the storm performing checks on students.

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UPDATE 3:35 PM ET:

Hundreds of thousands of people are without power in North Carolina in the aftermath of a tropical storm that started as Hurricane Helene, and the Governor of North Carolina is asking the federal government for help. Helene's remnants dumped historic levels of rain across the state, leading to devastating flooding in Western North Carolina and a web of impassable roads and interstates.

Officials say more than 200 people were rescued from flood waters throughout North Carolina. Governor Roy Cooper is asking the federal government for a major disaster declaration for 38 North Carolina counties as hundreds of thousands remain without power. There are more than 400 closed roads across the state, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The emergency response effort is being hampered by damage to those roads and power lines.

Those closures include multiple sections of Interstates 40 and 26 around Asheville. Those are the main highways for traveling through the mountainous region and one section of the eastbound lane of I-40, three miles from the Tennessee border, washed out and fell into the Pigeon River.

Water Service:

Officials say Hurricane Helene severely damaged the City of Asheville's water system, and a boil order is in effect. According to the City of Asheville extensive repairs to the water system will be required and the city's Water Resources Department is already starting the process of acquiring the needed equipment and personnel. The City of Asheville advises anyone who currently has water to fill bathtubs and other containers to prepare for loss of service.

When water service is restored consumers who have electric power are advised to boil all water used for human consumption (including drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparation). Those without power are advised to use bottled water for the purposes mentioned above.

Vigorous boiling for one (1) minute should kill any disease-causing organisms that may be present in the water. This advisory remains in effect until further written notification is issued.

Water customers who currently have water are encouraged to fill bathtubs in preparedness for loss of water.

Downed Power Lines: Call 9-1-1

Power Outages: Duke – 1-800-228-8485

Issues with Natural Gas: Dominion – 1-866-366-4357

Structure Damage:

Structural damage should be reported to an individual’s insurance company as soon as possible.

A city-wide initial assessment by FEMA and a team of city staff (DSD, Fire, Public Works) will begin Sunday, September 29. Community members will see city staff doing assessments to understand the magnitude of the overall storm damage. Development Services Department will be set up to receive and issue permits for removal and replacement of damaged areas. Permit fees will be waived for removal and repair permits.

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Evacuation Shelters:

For those unable to evacuate to a safe location, an emergency shelter has been established at the WNC Agriculture Center located at WNC Agricultural Center: 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher NC.

An emergency shelter was opened at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center, 87 Haywood St., Asheville.

Please bring essential items such as medications, important documents, and personal necessities.

Transportation Assistance:

If you are unable to evacuate safely, please call 911 for assistance with transportation.

Evacuation Precautions:

Avoid flooded roads and areas prone to landslides during your evacuation.

Immediately gather important documents and items needed to make yourself and your family comfortable at a shelter or other safe space.

Important Resources:

For up-to-date information on the evacuation, road closures, and shelter availability, please visit www.buncombeready.org.

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The aftermath of Hurricane Helene has left North Carolina, particularly the city of Asheville, grappling with severe flooding and widespread power outages. The storm brought heavy rainfall, intense winds, and life-threatening flash flooding to the western part of the state.

The highest reported rainfall was 29.5 inches in Busick Raws, Yancey County, according to North Carolina’s Governor Roy Cooper’s office. Asheville and other areas like Chimney Rock experienced significant rainfall, leading to damaging debris and flooding.

Rutherford County's Emergency Management issued an immediate evacuation notice to residents near the Lake Lure Dam on Friday morning due to the heavy rainfall. By Friday evening, the county government office shared an update on the dam's water levels. "Lake Lure water levels are no longer rising and are beginning to recede,” the county government office wrote in a Facebook post.

Emergency personnel have reportedly rescued over 25 individuals through swift water rescue, EMS, fire departments, and law enforcement efforts. However, the storm has left many phone lines out of service across the county, especially in Lake Lure, complicating rescue and recovery efforts.

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