Live updates: Desperation grows as hundreds go missing after Helene

Emergency workers are still rescuing people and trying to get help to the mountains of North Carolina, five days after Helene made landfall, the governor said during a news conference Tuesday.

460,000 North Carolinians are without power, access to water remains difficult for some, roads remain dangerous and more than 1,100 people are staying in 29 shelters across the state, Gov. Roy Cooper said.

“The devastation caused by Hurricane Helene is incredible,” he said. “Communities have been wiped off the map.”

Despite the challenges, the governor said he was encouraged to see people working together during the tragedy, including many first responders and medical workers who left their own families and damaged their homes to care for the community.

So far, more than 57,000 people have applied for individual assistance through FEMA and are already beginning to receive relief funds, Cooper said.

Cooper, along with other officials, continued to emphasize the importance of keeping roads clear unless travel is essential.

With downed power lines and unstable ground, the risk of landslides remains, said William Ray, North Carolina’s director of emergency management. He also urged people not to fly drones in western North Carolina because it poses a danger to aircraft involved in the relief effort.

As of 9 a.m. Tuesday, the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office had received more than 70 complaints about price gouging on fuel, food and hotel rooms across the state. North Carolina has a law designed to combat price gouging in times of disaster.

“We simply will not allow price gougers to take advantage of you when you are in need,” North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein said. “Times like these require the best of us…we take every opportunity to help those in need. It’s our moment to stand up for our neighbors.”