The number of fatalities from Hurricane Helene has reached 65 in North Carolina, with more than 40 percent coming from Buncombe County, the state reported Friday — a week after the storm dumped record rainfall across the region.
According to data from the N.C. Division of Public Health, nearly all of the deaths since Sept. 27 were in the hardest hit western North Carolina communities, which have seen historic flooding and loss of property. However, there were one each in Mecklenburg and Gaston counties, both from fallen trees.
Among the causes of death that are known, drowning is the most common at 16. Eleven people were killed from the landsides that blocked off roads and destroyed homes and businesses.
There were 17 deaths from unknown causes. The death toll is expected to rise as more bodies are recovered.
South Carolina officials reported 46 storm-related deaths Friday. More than 200 people have been killed across the southeast U.S., reports show.
Buncombe County, home to Asheville and the most populous NC mountain county, has by far the most fatalities from the storm, 27. Yancey County to the northeast had nine, while Henderson County to the south recorded six.
The average age of those who lost their life – and whose ages are known – is 59.5. The two youngest were a 7-year-old recovered after drowning in Buncombe County and a 4-year-old reportedly killed in a car crash on a closed road in Catawba County.
| NC County | Helene-Related Deaths* |
| Buncombe | 27 |
| Yancey | 9 |
| Henderson | 6 |
| Madison | 4 |
| Avery | 3 |
| Rutherford | 3 |
| Cleveland | 2 |
| Watauga | 2 |
| Ashe | 1 |
| Burke | 1 |
| Catawba | 1 |
| Gaston | 1 |
| Macon | 1 |
| McDowell | 1 |
| Mecklenburg | 1 |
| Polk | 1 |