(WLOS) — These Hurricane Helene updates are for Monday, September 30.

Western North Carolina continues to recover after the hurricane struck the night of September 26 and day of September 27, bringing torrential rains and hurricane-force winds that downed trees on power lines.

Hundreds of thousands are still without power and water. We will continue with live updates throughout the day.

6:00 PM – Henderson County provides an update.

Henderson County is still under a state of emergency, while the 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. curfew is still in effect for the entire county.

Henderson County emergency crews continue to make calls and rescues across the county and are asking residents to limit travel so that not only can crews work in emergencies, but Duke Energy crews can also work to restore power.

The province has launched an official hub that collects donation requests and volunteer registrations for local individuals and organizations. Visit this website for more information.

The Henderson County Transfer Station will remain open on October 1st and will accept storm debris for the usual fees. They are still working on a free storm debris dump that will be available soon.

The county is gathering supplies from federal, state and local sources. More information about distribution will follow soon.

Hendersonville Water & Sewer has made progress in stabilizing the central portions of the water distribution system. Crews have been working to return water service to the east side of the county.

All water customers are under a system pressure advisory and are advised to use bottled water or boil water before consuming it. Customers will be notified through the city’s AlertHVL system using the customer’s billing contact information when their system pressure advisory is lifted.

Customers with water service are encouraged to conserve water.

The Henderson County Call Center is available for all non-medical information requests. Call 828-771-6670 or email [email protected]. For emergencies, you can call 911.

For anyone seeking additional information, please visit this website and click on the Hurricane Helene Updates banner.

5:00 PM – President Joe Biden visits Asheville on Wednesday.

President Joe Biden will travel to Asheville, N.C., on Wednesday, Oct. 2, for a briefing and aerial survey of storm-ravaged Asheville, the Associated Press reports.

4 P.M. – Buncombe County confirms 40 storm-related deaths during press conference.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY:

Buncombe County officials report the county’s death toll from Hurricane Helene has risen from 35 to 40.

Officials also reported that there has been some restoration of power, but 90,000 people in Buncombe County are still without it.

Damage to the water system is “catastrophic” and “severe” throughout the province, but the Water Department and Public Works are continuously working to restore water. It was also confirmed that there is no evidence that the dam at Bee Tree has been compromised. The Mills River Water Treatment Plant is operating, but at reduced capacity.

At this time, officials say there is no precise timeline for water restoration, but officials say it could potentially take weeks. Depending on the extent of damage to water systems, service will start slowly and occur sooner in some areas than others.

WOODFIN:

Officials confirmed that all people in Woodfin now have access to a road or street, and no individuals are reportedly still in custody. Officials confirmed there was one fatality in Woodfin: a woman who died from a falling tree.

WEAVEVILLE:

Officials say some water services will be restored this week and a boil water advisory will be in effect and all water conservation is recommended.

Officials say a new update will be released on Monday, October 1 at 10am

3:30 PM – Governor Cooper discusses the catastrophic damage from Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina.

Governor Roy Cooper traveled to Western North Carolina to survey the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Cooper’s full comments at the media briefing and more information can be found here.

2:50 PM – Four confirmed deaths from flooding in Haywood County

Haywood County provided an update on recovery efforts this afternoon, reporting four confirmed flood deaths.

Haywood County Sheriff Bill Wilkie said next of kin had been notified.

Wilkie said the sheriff’s office would conduct welfare checks and people could call the following number: 888-892-1162.

He also said the province’s curfew from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. remains in effect

2:45 PM – Boil water advisory lifted in Boone

City staff have collected multiple water samples for testing at many locations throughout our water system, all of which were found to be absent or negative for contamination. As of today at 2:30 PM, the advice to boil water has been lifted. It is safe to use water directly from our system for human consumption.

10:45 a.m. – The death toll rises to 35 in Buncombe County

Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller reports the death toll from Hurricane Helene in Buncombe County has risen from 30 to 35.

Miller made the announcement at 10 a.m. during Buncombe County officials’ news conference

Miller also said looting at stores and confrontations at gas stations have been reported.

Henderson County reported at a press conference on September 29 that five deaths were caused by Hurricane Helene.

8:00 a.m. – Asheville Regional Airport provides air travel update

Flights are slowly returning to normal, according to a news release from the Asheville Regional Airport.

The airport provided these updates to News 13 this morning:

Commercial air services resume. Two American Airlines flights landed this morning.

Delta and United also resumed some flights this morning.

We are working to obtain information on Allegiant and Sun Country and will post as soon as we have news to share.

PLEASE NOTE: Flight status may change, especially in these uncertain times. Check the status of your flight with your airline before coming to the airport.

IMPORTANT: We have been unable to update our website. The flight information on the airport website is incorrect.

We have had questions about vehicles in our parking lots. Good news: none of the lots are flooded and the cars are fine. For those who were unable to pick up their cars due to the storm, stay safe and pick up your car when you are able to do so. The airport has waived the additional costs that would have been incurred for the days during the storm and during this week of recovery.

We expect more relief flights today, which brings a lot of hope.

5 a.m. – Macon County sheriff’s deputy reportedly killed in identified flooding in Helene

On September 29 at 9 p.m., the Macon County Sheriff’s Office posted an emotional message on Facebook about one of its own, who died in flooding from Hurricane Helene.

“This is one of the hardest releases we’ve ever had to make,” the post said.

The deputy reportedly died after his truck submerged. According to the post, witnesses saw the truck go under in the river near Fulton Road. The sheriff’s office reported that the body had been recovered and that it was Deputy Jim Lau, a former deputy with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office in DeLand, Florida.

The Macon County Sheriff’s Office dispatch said the first 911 call came in at 11:30 a.m. on September 27.

“It quickly became apparent that one of our courthouse security officers, Jim Lau, had not returned from lunch and that his truck matched the description of the truck seen in the river. That afternoon, several emergency services started a search. Search operations on foot, with drones and multiple rapid water rescue teams were called in,” the post said.

The post said the search was suspended when the sun set and then restarted on the morning of September 29.

“Jim’s body was found and recovered from the river shortly after the search began,” the post said.

Macon County Sheriff’s Office said the North Carolina State Highway Patrol was the investigating agency for this event, and it is an ongoing investigation.

“Jim was well liked and respected within our department. He was known as a hard worker and reliable, and he stepped in where help was needed. His absence will be truly felt in our agency,” the post said. “We ask for prayers for this family and loved ones, and we ask for prayers for our department. Continue to pray for Western North Carolina as a whole; the tragedy surrounding our mountain communities is unimaginable.”

5:30 a.m. – Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office warns of Hurricane Helene scams

The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office sent out a press release warning residents about scammers trying to swindle residents out of their money while giving them money

“We would like to warn everyone about scammers looking to take advantage of your generosity,” the post said. “In the coming days, scammers are likely to make contact in a variety of ways, claiming to be taking donations for disaster relief. While many of those asking for donations have good and honest intentions, others may simply be after your money. If you receive a call, text or email asking for donations for the people affected by the disaster, make sure you investigate the source before sharing your financial information.”

The sheriff’s office said it will never request payment or donations over the phone.

Check back here for live updates throughout the day.