North Carolina appears to be nearing a final death count for Tropical Storm Helene, which is welcome news after concerns that the state’s official numbers were undercounting or lagging in counting fatalities.
An earlier high death count from Buncombe County had implied that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was dealing with a backlog of bodies after the storm, but Carolina Public Press has learned that is not the case. The earlier numbers from Buncombe appear to have been a significant overcount.
Representatives from the state Department of Health and Human Services told CPP that each decedent is being tracked and cared for at a morgue in one of two locations — Asheville and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh.
As of Friday, three decedents tied to the storm are undergoing continued examination in Raleigh. No additional decedents in Asheville were awaiting examination or identification at that time.