2 deaths in NC attributed to Helene, more expected, Gov. Cooper says

North Carolina officials have confirmed Hurricane Helene and its remnants caused two deaths in the state, Gov. Roy Cooper said during a Friday morning briefing.

A motor vehicle crash on a flooded road Thursday morning caused one of those deaths, in Catawba County, Cooper said. The other came Friday morning when a tree fell on a house in Charlotte.

The Charlotte incident happened around 5 a.m. The tree killed one person in a northwest Charlotte home and injured another, according to The Charlotte Observer.

The Catawba County car crash happened just after 8:10 a.m. Thursday, as rainfall extending in front of Helene entered the region. The Charlotte Observer reported that an SUV crossed the center line on Boggs Road near Hunsucker Drive, causing a head-on collision,

A 4-year-old girl in the SUV was killed, while a 12-year-old in that vehicle also suffered “life-threatening” injuries. A 2-year-old in the other vehicle also suffered life-threatening injuries, while three other people in the cars suffered what the N.C. State Highway Patrol called non-life-threatening injuries.

As Cooper urged people to stay home, especially in Western North Carolina, he sounded a dire note.

“There will be more (deaths), as we know this storm is continuing across our state. We are working to try to prevent as many as we possibly can,” Cooper said.

Storm conditions are expected to improve later Friday afternoon and into the evening as Helene’s remnants pass through the state, but Cooper also warned that flooding is likely to continue well after the rainfall stops.

Drivers should not risk driving on flooded roads, Cooper said. Last week, Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight resulted in the death of a Brunswick County man after he drove around stationary law enforcement vehicles warning the road was closed..

“As I’ve said so many times, we’ve lost too many North Carolinians who’ve driven into floodwaters. So turn around, don’t drown,” Cooper said.

The storm has caused more than 20 deaths across the Southeast as of 1:15 p.m. Friday.

This story was produced with financial support from the Hartfield Foundation and Green South Foundation, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work. If you would like to help support local journalism, please consider signing up for a digital subscription, which you can do here.

This story was originally published September 27, 2024 at 1:24 PM with the headline "2 deaths in NC attributed to Helene, more expected, Gov. Cooper says."

Adam Wagner

The News & Observer

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Adam Wagner covers climate change and other environmental issues in North Carolina. His work is produced with financial support from the Hartfield Foundation and Green South Foundation, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. Wagner’s previous work at The News & Observer included coverage of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and North Carolina’s recovery from recent hurricanes. He previously worked at the Wilmington StarNews.