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DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — One by one, box trucks and even a semi headed out of Durham on Thursday, providing relief to Buncombe and Avery counties.

Maureen Frazer-Monroe volunteered to pack up some of the supplies being sent to those hit hardest by Hurricane Helene.

“It’s our community,” she said. “I mean, North Carolina is hurting so badly right now and we still don’t know the depths of it.”

Some of the items that are getting sent over to the mountains include the essentials, such as jugs of water, diapers and snacks for those in need.

“We are doing a little bit everywhere in hopes that it’ll make enough of an impact,” volunteer Letitia Powell said.

It’s all part of an effort organized by the Durham Rescue Mission, collecting donations from across the Triangle over the last week.

So far, they’ve sent out over 150,000 pounds of supplies in the wake of Helene.

“It’s meant the world to me to be able to see all this stuff happening, because we are not a relief agency … we’re a homeless shelter,” Durham Rescue Mission Director of Development Adam Todd said. “That is our primary goal.”

The mission also sent a cook team to serve about 600 pounds of fresh food.

“I don’t know how many people are there, but they’re just wiped out and there’s nothing to eat,” Durham Rescue Mission President and CEO Rob Tart said. “The rescue workers need to eat, too.”

Organizers plan to deliver to Ashe County this week.

“It just makes me incredibly grateful to be where we are, to be able to give what we can and sad at the same time,” Frazer-Monroe said.

From hygiene products to canned food to first aid, the rescue mission is still accepting donations.

Operation connect Carolina working to bring back cell service in western NC

A Durham-based mobile network company is working to support people without cellular service in western North Carolina.

Celestic, which aims to provide communications infrastructure in disaster situations, launched Operation Connect Carolina to bring mobile hubsto hard-to-reach areas of our state impacted by Hurricane Helene.

Helene dumped heavy rain across western North Carolina on Thursday and Friday, leading to landslides, flooding and wind damage in the mountains. Much of the region is without power or cell service, leaving loved ones unable to check on missing family members.

People in western North Carolina need food, water, medicine and other essentials, but aid groups need to be able to find them to help them.

That's where Operation Connect Carolina, headquartered in Durham's American Underground, comes in.

"I really hope we can save lives," Aaron Huslage, Celestic's CEO, said. "People that would normally help in a situation like this are having a really hard time with logistics, even just getting the things they need, asking the questions to get the responses they need."

According to Huslage, Celestic has partnered with local non-profits to make sure the needs of people impacted by Helene are being met, including through connectivity, partnering for deployments and fundraising.

Huslage is working to deploy portable cell phone towers and Wi-Fi powered by Starlink and other companies to get high-speed internet to impacted areas.

"A lot of the infrastructure just disappeared over the course of the storm, and that's going to take a long time to get back," Hulsage said. "We see hospitals, we see fire stations, we see libraries, we see community organizations disconnected. People that would normally help in a situation like this are having a really hard time with logistics."

In storms, people who need help and people who provide aid both rely on technology to connect.

"Connectivity is not an optional thing anymore," Huslage said. "We need food, we need water, we need shelter and we need to be connected to one another."

Help North Carolina rebuild: WRAL's Hurricane Helene recovery fund raises $795k+

"Connectivity has woven itself into our everyday lives," added Brandon Hoe, a volunteer with Operation Connect Carolina. "It's an essential part of our lives. Without connectivity, so many things can't happen."

In 2018, Jil Christensen founded Day One Relief, which connects LBGTQIA+ and marginalized communities with lifesaving resources during disasters. Day One Relief is working with Operation Connect Carolina to respond to Helene, and Christensen said time is of the essence.

"Everyone up in the mountains right now has a ticking time clock, and the resources need to get there," Christensen said. "I believe in this project. Every minute after a storm for the first couple weeks is how you save lives, so when it comes to connectivity, it's time."

Aside from aid, founders say the human connection this technology would allow is vital.

Huslage founded Celestic in December 2023 after working on various relief projects around the world. He told WRAL News he assisted with Hurricane Katrina relief, building a wireless network from Mississippi to the Louisiana border.

"I started a company here in North Carolina to work on exactly this problem, and it happened here, which is surreal," Huslage said. "It's really difficult to see those people suffering in such a profound way in our backyard."

WRAL News has a guide to how to help our western neighbors.

By calling 211 or visiting nc211.org, families and individuals can obtain free and confidential information on health and human services and resources in their community. People trying to connect with family members can call NC 211 or 1-888-892-1162 if calling from out-of-state. People can also call those numbers to report missing loved ones.

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Hurricane Helene swept across the Southeast, causing major flooding and destruction throughout North Carolina. The News & Observer and the Charlotte Observer have a collection of stories about Hurricane Helene and the damage it left, particularly in Western North Carolina.

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As Helene made her slog through North Carolina, she brought heavy rains and gusty winds to the state, leaving behind flash flooding, two tornadoes and at least two deaths.

The storm’s eye made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend around 11:10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, as a Category 4 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

By 5 a.m. Sept. 27, Helene had been downgraded to a tropical storm, according to the NHC. Maximum sustained winds had decreased to around 70 mph, and the center of the storm was expected to move over central and northeastern Georgia before turning northwestward and slow down over the Tennessee Valley.

The NHC predicted “catastrophic and life-threatening flash and urban flooding, including numerous landslides” across parts of the southern Appalachians and “damaging wind gusts” over parts of Georgia and the Carolinas on Sept. 27.

But damage wasn’t limited to the mountains. At least 15 people were injured, four seriously, in Nash County when a tornado hit the Eastern North Carolina city of Rocky Mount.

By the time Helene crawled out of the state, it had become a tropical depression and then a post-tropical cyclone.

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for North Carolina on Sept. 26, which allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help fund emergency protective measures in much of western North Carolina, including evacuations and emergency shelters, The News & Observer previously reported.

The National Weather Service’s office in Greenville, South Carolina, called Helene “one of the most significant weather events to happen in the western portions of the area in the modern era” in a Sept. 26 social media post.

Helene was predicted to bring heavy rain to western North Carolina, increasing the risk of landslides.

Flash flood warnings were issued across western North Carolina — including in Asheville, Hickory and Charlotte — the morning of Sept. 27.

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for parts of Mecklenburg, Transylvania and McDowell counties.

Severe weather had moved out of the Triangle by Friday afternoon.

A band of showers and thunderstorms with heavy rain moved across the Triangle through the morning.

1110 am: BREAKING - Orange, Wake, and Durham Counties - Greatest risk of heavy rain, wind gusts in excess of 50 mph, and isolated tornadoes will spread across the area over the next 90 minutes. Please find a safe place. pic.twitter.com/RipsAsSjMi

— NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) September 27, 2024

Sustained wind speeds of 15-25 mph were expected, with gusts of 35-45 mph, throughout the morning and early afternoon Sept. 27.

The most life-threatening risks were flash flooding and tornadoes, the meteorologist said, encouraging people to have a way to quickly receive alerts about weather hazards as they arise.

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Wake County

July 21, 2023 3:58 PM

Duke Energy customers may report and track outages on the provider’s website. More than 215,000 Duke Energy customers in North Carolina were without power around 7 a.m. Sept. 27.

Check where tornado, flood and other severe weather watches and warnings have been issued here.

Gov. Roy Cooper said during a morning briefing Sept. 27 that there are an estimated 879,000 power outages across the state and that there have already been more than 100 swift water rescues.

”This is one of the worst storms in modern history for parts of Western North Carolina. The end of the rain is not the end of the threat,” Cooper said.

As N.C. Emergency Management Director Will Ray gave a Sept. 27 morning update on Helene, a harsh tone sounded from cell phones throughout the room, warning of a flash flood warning in the immediate area until 3 p.m.

”With such significant rainfall, water levels and flooding in the Western North Carolina mountains can rapidly change and cause a substantial threat to life. Many counties in Western North Carolina have ordered evacuations to save lives,” Ray said.

Cooper also emphasized that Western North Carolinians should stay at home instead of driving through stormy conditions on roadways that could be susceptible to flooding.

”People in Western North Carolina should consider all roads closed unless you’re seeking higher ground,” Cooper said.

Statewide, there were more than 290 road closures the morning of Sept. 27, many in the western part of the state but some lingering in the Southeastern corner from last week’s unnamed storm that brought heavy rains to the region.

All public schools in the Triangle were closed to students and staff Sept. 27. These include:

Wake Tech and Durham Tech also closed their campuses.

Helene created problems for travelers out of RDU Airport on Sept. 27. Flights to Charlotte scheduled to leave RDU before noon were canceled, and some afternoon flights are delayed. More than 1,000 flights at Charlotte’s airport have been disrupted during the past couple of days, The Charlotte Observer reported.

Flights scheduled to leave RDU before noon Sept. 27, headed to cities including Boston, Detroit, Atlanta, Chicago, Indianapolis, Washington, D.C., Orlando and Austin, were canceled or delayed.

Check the status of flights to and from RDU Airport here.

This story was originally published September 27, 2024, 8:11 AM.

In Durham, first responders are looking out for flash flooding and downed trees.

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- As Hurricane Helene closes in, North Carolina is bracing for what Gov. Roy Cooper called Thursday an "unusually dangerous storm," with heavy rainfall, gusty winds and isolated severe storms expected across the Triangle.

"We've been managing water across our system to create additional space for the rainfall we anticipate," Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks said. "Then, of course, with that saturated ground, when you have wind gusts that come through, that can bring down trees, that can affect power lines."

Brooks said they're getting ready for Helene's arrival in the Carolinas after making "a lot of improvements" during the past few years that include strengthening the grid and making it more resistant to outages from severe weather.

"We've also been improving our resiliency using self-healing technologies that can automatically identify a power outage and reroute power to help restore service faster, and that's a big tool," Brooks said. "During major storms, about half the benefits we generate from that technology come during major storms. So, it's a great asset for our crews in the field to help restore power and limit the number of customers affected by an outage."

RELATED | How to report and check power outages in your area

Duke Energy also announced it secured more crews and has more than 10,000 resources ready to assist with restoration.

"Our crews are ready to respond where we see the outages and if we need to reposition those crews to better assist hard-hit areas, we can do that very quickly as the storm passes," Brooks said.

Local emergency response teams such as Durham County EMS also said they're prepared for Helene's impacts.

"Significant rain over a short period of time will give us flash flooding, things of that nature," Durham County EMS interim chief paramedic Gordon Smith said. "We can have downed trees with the wind, especially with the soggy soil, with the conditions over the last few days. So those are the main things that we'll be looking for."

Smith said as they anticipate the severe weather threat to increase, he urged people to be prepared as well.

"We would prefer everybody stay indoors and safe," Smith said. "But if you absolutely must leave the home ... do so with caution. And again, do not travel through any standing water."

Crews at the Durham Fire Department gathered in the Southpoint parking lot ahead of the storm on Thursday. The crew is one of many being deployed to the western branch area as part of the Incident Support Team.

Chapel Hill and Raleigh fire departments have also been deployed to help during the storm.

WATCH | Duke Energy on preparation for power outages from Helene

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RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Heavy rainfall, gusty winds, and isolated severe storms will be possible for Central NC late Thursday night and Friday as remnants of Hurricane Helene track north into the southern Appalachians.

A few afternoon showers and isolated storms are possible on Wednesday. Temperature highs will be in the mid-80s.

Rain from storms overnight Tuesday and Wednesday produced a lot of rain that led to several flood warnings. Many of them have expired. That said, many parts of the ABC11 coverage should prepare for possible flooding as Helene continues to churn towards Florida and then move north.

Person County School District is closed for students on Wednesday due to flooding and dangerous road conditions. According to the district, staff will report on a 2-hour delay.

Some saw and felt thunder and lightning overnight.

One of those bolts hit home on Infiniti Lane in Southeast Raleigh off Sunnybrook Road. When firefighters got there, they discovered the attic was on fire. All occupants fortunately got out safely.

WATCH | Lightning bolt sets house attic on fire in Raleigh

Wednesday morning a downed tree closed both lanes on Leesville Road near Ashcliff Lane in Durham. The road reopened after crews removed the tree.

Looking Ahead

Rain: Friday will be when the area will receive the biggest rain impacts. By then, Helene is expected to be a weakening tropical storm or depression. Tropical downpours may lead to locally heavy rain at times-likely 1 to 3 with an isolated 4" possible. So far this month, we've gotten 10.18" making it the 6th wettest September on record, and a couple of inches from Helene could surpass the current third place total of 11.92".

Wind: It'll turn breezy Thursday night. By Friday, wind gusts of 25 to 40mph will be possible, which may lead to power outages.

Tornado Risk: There is a level 1 risk for isolated tornadoes & damaging winds in the Sandhills Thursday night. This risk expands to all of Central NC on Friday.

THE WEEKEND: Saturday will be partly cloudy with a spotty shower. A few showers will be around Sunday with the upper-level energy nearby. Weekend highs will be in the low to mid-80s with lows in the 60s.

WATCH: The Weather Show talks about Hurricane Helene

Weather Safety Tips

Here are some useful resources:

You can use the Flood Inundation Mapping and Alert Network to track water levels near you and which areas may be impacted by flooding.

You can report a power outage at 57801, use the Duke Energy app or their website.

You can check for road closures due to the storm.