Buncombe County Corrects Death Toll from Hurricane Helene, Lowering Reported Fatalities

RALEIGH, N.C. – Following a recent reconciliation of the death toll numbers in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Buncombe County officials have significantly adjusted their figures to align with lower state-reported numbers. Initially, local authorities had reported a staggering 72 fatalities in Asheville’s home county, but this total has since been revised down to 42, based on more accurate data from North Carolina’s chief medical examiner.

The discrepancy emerged from an early report on October 3 by Buncombe County, which drew on emergency briefings and initial estimates. As further information was gathered and the situation stabilized, the state’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, headquartered in Raleigh, provided updated and consistent numbers. These figures have been maintained since at least October 10, reflecting a more precise assessment of storm-related fatalities.

Christina Esmay, Public Information Officer for the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, explained that the preliminary counting included all deaths as Hurricane-related prior to a thorough verification process. “In the immediate aftermath, every fatality was initially attributed to the storm. This count included individuals who weren’t residents of Buncombe County and those whose deaths were later attributed to other causes,” Esmay said. She emphasized that severe disruptions to communication networks initially hampered the accurate reporting and verification processes.

Matt Marshall, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, stressed that post-storm assessments were particularly challenging due to the damaged infrastructure, which significantly impeded the flow of accurate information. He deferred further queries on the matter to state health officials, indicating that the sheriff’s office was focusing on current data accuracy rather than the internal process used initially.

In a similar vein, neighboring Henderson County also reconciled its figures with the state’s records, aligning their previously reported fatalities with the official count. This adjustment illustrates a broader trend of local discrepancies finding resolution as state oversight brings uniformity to the chaotic initial counts typical of post-disaster situations.

The procedure employed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh includes a thorough review of each death reported as storm-related. This stringent process, which has been refined over years and past storm events, ensures fatalities are accurately attributed to their direct causes.

Kelly Haight Connor, a spokesperson for the State Department of Health and Human Services, confirmed on Tuesday that the examination of all reported Helene-related deaths has concluded. However, Connor noted that the numbers could be subject to change if new information comes to light.

As it stands, the official count of fatalities from Hurricane Helene across North Carolina is 96, according to the latest figures released by state authorities. This assessment contributes to a national total which, after correcting the data from Buncombe and other discrepancies, now stands at 214 fatalities attributed to the storm across all affected states.

The revisited tallies underscore the complexities and challenges of disaster management, especially in the initial stages of response when accurate information is critical yet often difficult to ascertain. The ongoing adjustments and confirmations from various counties highlight the dynamic nature of such situations and the importance of relying on verified data in the wake of natural disasters.