NC Governor Cooper orders flags to be at half-staff

RALEIGH, N.C. (WBTV) – North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has ordered that all U.S. and North Carolina flags at state facilities to half-staff from sunrise on October 26 to sunset on October 27.

Cooper is asking for the flags to be at half-staff to honor the 98 North Carolinians who where killed by Hurricane Helene.

“Today we remember those who lost their lives to this terrible and powerful storm and we mourn with their loved ones,” Governor Cooper said. “Hurricane Helene has forever changed lives, communities and our entire state. The losses are heartbreaking, but the determination to rebuild Western North Carolina is even stronger and we must continue to work together to recover.”

Hurricane Helene dumped between 11 and 31 inches of rain across western North Carolina in less than 48 hours, prompting catastrophic flooding and causing more than 500 landslides across the mountains.

The storm devastated hundreds of communities and damaged tens of thousands homes and businesses across western counties.

Following the disaster, 40 counties have received a federal disaster declaration. Help has surged into the area, including tens of thousands of local and state officials along with over 1,700 National Guard and Army Soldiers and Airmen, 1,700 FEMA staff and 1,750 responders from 39 states.

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