Hurricane Helene: Over 220 dead as some communities struggle to get basic supplies.

What to know

• At least 223 people have died and hundreds are unaccounted for in the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene since it made landfall in Florida on Sept. 26.
• More than a week later, some residents and communities remain isolated, hundreds of thousands are without power, and spotty service has made communication difficult.
• As people dig out of the muck and survey the damage to their homes and cities, stories of heroic rescues and devastating losses are coming to light.
• If you would like to help donate to survivors of Helene, several organizations, including the Red Cross and National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, are seeking assistance from the public.
• te, a lightweight version of NBCNews.com available in emergency situations when internet connectivity may be limited, has been turned on for readers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama.

  Asheville police working on 75 missing person cases

  Natalie Obregon and Rebecca Cohen

  Asheville’s Deputy Police Chief Sean Aardema said the city has processed approximately 300 total missing person reports and that 270 of those people are “alive and well.”

  Those found have been put in contact with family, friends or whoever reported them missing, Aardema said.

  Now, police are “working actively” on 75 missing person cases, with assistance from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, Aardema said.

  At an afternoon news conference, officials in Buncombe County also said they are not yet naming the deceased.

  The city is working to restore the water system, said Ben Woody, assistant city manager.

  He said the North Fork water treatment plant “was built to be able to withstand … a typical hurricane event” and that once it is fixed, “it can provide water to 80% of the Asheville water system.”

  “This is a priority repair for us at this time,” Woody said.

  Helene washed away “almost 25 feet of earth” that was covering the pipe, Woody said, adding that there was “catastrophic damage to this bypass waterline.”

  Woody did not provide a timeline on when the water system would be functional, but promised regular updates.

  NOAA keeps the world’s biggest climate archive in Asheville — it’s offline with no timeline for restoration

  The National Centers for Environmental Information’s data systems remain down and there’s no timeline for restoration, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

  The NCEI, which maintains an archive of climate data that dates to the 1700s, is based in Asheville. Its weather and climate archive is the largest in the world, according to the NOAA.

  Right now, none of the archived data can be accessed, according to the NOAA. Paper and film records kept at NCEI are safe.

  The disruption will delay several key reports that keep the public up to date on climate benchmarks, including monthly reports on the state of the U.S. climate and the NOAA’s global climate reports.

  Hurricane Helene’s rainfall extremes were boosted by human-caused climate change, early attribution

  • FEMA says misinfo having ‘negative impact on ability to help’

    FEMA said that misinformation about its response to Hurricane Helene — some of which is being promoted by former President Donald Trump — is “having a negative impact on our ability to help people.”

    The agency today pushed back on claims that it only provides a single payment of $750 to disaster survivors through its Serious Needs Assistance program, saying that rumor is false.

    “Serious Needs Assistance was designed to reach people as quickly as possible, so they can purchase essential items while we continue to process their disaster application and determine what other assistance they may be eligible for,” FEMA Director of Public Affairs Jaclyn Rothenberg said in a statement.

    Those in declared disaster areas can apply for assistance by calling 800-621-3362, visiting online at disasterassistance.gov or downloading the FEMA app.

    Almost 700,000 people grappling with major power outages

    Nearly 700,000 homes and businesses are dealing with power outages.

    South Carolina has more than 260,000 customers in the dark, and North Carolina trails closely behind with over 215,000 customers without power.

    In Georgia, more than 190,000 homes and businesses are experiencing outages. Virginia has just more than 10,000 customers in the dark.