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Two Watauga County residents confirmed dead after Helene, officials say

Watauga County officials say two residents were killed by landslides after Helene swept through mountain communities. Numerous other injuries have been attributed to the storm or clean-up efforts.

At a press conference, County Director of Emergency Management Will Holt said they are working with volunteer organizations and state officials to set up distribution points for hot meals, water, and cell phone charging stations. 

“This storm has stretched the capacity of all our partners. So please understand these efforts are moving as fast as possible," he said. "And in an effort to keep our citizens safe, and continue to allow for response and recovery operations, we continue to ask everyone to please stay out of Watauga County unless you were called upon or coordinated.” 

Holt called uncoordinated donations “incredibly harmful.” He also characterized recovery as a “yearslong process.”

Boone Mayor Tim Futrelle said the town would stay under a curfew for the foreseeable future from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. He also said Boone’s water boil advisory has been lifted as issues at the water plant have been resolved.

Eddie Garcia is WFDD’s News Director. He is responsible for planning coverage, editing stories, and leading an award-winning news team as it serves the station’s 32-county listening area. He joined WFDD as an audio production intern in 2007 and went on to hold various roles, including producer, Triad Arts Weekend co-host, reporter, and managing editor. When he’s not working, Eddie enjoys spending time with his family, playing guitar, and watching films.

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