Helene is an "unusually dangerous storm," North Carolina governor warns

 

In this screengrab from video, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper speaks to the press about Hurricane Helene on September 26. 

State of NC

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper warned that Hurricane Helene could have a dangerous and deadly impact in parts of the state.

“This is an unusually dangerous storm that threatens to bring heavy rain and potentially catastrophic flooding tonight and tomorrow for central and particularly western North Carolina,” Cooper said during a severe weather news conference.

Cooper noted that when tropical weather crosses into the state’s mountainous areas, it can be deadly. He recalled the deadly and devastating impact of Tropical Storm Fred in 2021, and said Helene could have a similar impact.

“With Hurricane Helene, we have to be clear here: Heavy rains and winds are coming. Beware and prepare,” the governor said. “Travel will be dangerous. Flooding is likely and we are preparing for unexpected conditions.”

He added that the storm is expected to bring more than a foot of rain to parts of western North Carolina, which will “likely cause significant flash flooding, landslides, damaging debris flows, slope failures across steep terrain and river flooding. Even areas that typically don’t experience it, may see flooding.”

He said that cities like Charlotte and Asheville could see flash flooding despite not being directly in the storm’s path.