Thousands of people in North Carolina prisons have been evacuated and relocated across the state following Hurricane Helene.
The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC) announced on October 2 that they were moving more than 800 offenders from two prisons in western North Carolina due to the storm’s impact, bringing the total to over 2,000 people evacuated from five prisons.
This included 405 women on Monday, 841 men on Tuesday, and 805 men on Wednesday, according to a statement from NCDAC.
“As with other recent evacuations, the action was necessary due to long timeframes for expected restoration of water and power service,” it said.
The NCDAC have been contacted for comment via email outside of work hours.
Federal officers with the Bureau of Prisons leave for a mission from Crooked Creek Fire Department near Old Fort in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 30, 2024 in Old Fort, North Carolina. Over 2000 prison inmates in western North Carolina have been moved to other prisons due to the hurricane.
Sean Rayford/Getty Images
Western North Carolina has been rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the 14th most powerful storm to ever hit the United States. North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, and Alabama have all been declared disaster zones.
President Biden mobilized 1,000 active duty soldiers across all affected states on October 2 to help with response efforts such as transporting people over damaged terrain, providing fuel and water, and assisting the other troops on the ground activated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) who are providing aid.
North Carolina also has 700 members of the national guard on the ground removing debris, providing airlifts, and conducting search and rescue operations.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said in a press release on October 1: “As emergency responders continue search and rescue operations in Western North Carolina, local, state, federal, private and non-profit partners continue to work in concert to provide food, water, shelter and other basic necessities for people in need.
“Simultaneously, thousands of private sector and government employees are working 24/7 to restore critical infrastructure including power, water, wastewater treatment, cellular phone service and internet connectivity.”
A home destroyed on Lake Lure, North Carolina, October 2, 2024, after Hurricane Helene. Over 20,000 people have registered for FEMA assistance across the state.
Allison Joyce/Getty Images
In North Carolina, loved ones of inmates relocated due to the storm have been asked by the state not to call to check up on their friends and family behind bars, as communication outages throughout the western part of the state mean that phone lines must be clear for emergencies only.
They can, however, use NCDAC’s Offender Locator to find out where they have been moved to.
Per NCDAC’s website, all offenders will be returned to their original location as soon as it is safe, however it is not clear when that will be.
Per the North Carolina state website, search and rescue operations are still ongoing.
To report a missing person or request non-emergency support, please call NC 211 or 1-888-892-1162 if calling from out-of-state.
Anyone who has been impacted by the storm and or needs someone to talk to, can call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990.
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