Helena: Stations Silent, A Thousand People Missing

NY Post Graphic

More than 1,000 people have been reported unaccounted for in a devastated North Carolina county. Overall, the hurricane’s death toll rose Sunday to at least 84 people across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia. The known death toll reached 90 as of Sunday.

Thr NY Post reports authorities in Buncombe County reported the horrifying toll in an emergency meeting announcing emergency medical shelters and ongoing rescue efforts in areas almost overwhelmed by stormwater.

They also announced a special website to appeal for help finding those unaccounted for — with “more than 1,000 reports so far,” one local official told the live-streamed meeting.

Supplies are bering rushed to communities isolated by Helene as death toll rises to nearly 100 . . . North Carolina officials pledged to get more water and other supplies to flood-stricken areas by Monday after Hurricane Helene left a trail of destruction across the U.S. Southeast and the death toll from the storm rose to nearly 100. At least 91 people across several states were killed. A North Carolina county that includes the mountain city of Asheville reported 30 people killed. Gov. Roy Cooper predicted the toll would rise as rescuers and other emergency workers reached areas isolated by collapsed roads, failing infrastructure and widespread flooding.

In Tennessee, a rescue of hospital employees and patients Friday led to Blackhawk and civilian helicopters landing on the roof of Unicoi hospital to evacuate more than 50 people. Ballad Health officials said all hospital personnel and patients had been rescued from Unicoi County Hospital, Erwin, TN by 4:40 p.m.

Helene, the strongest hurricane recorded to hit Florida's Big Bend region, had weakened to a post-tropical cyclone but still brought catastrophic flooding, powerful winds, and unthinkable damage up the east coast from Florida to Virginia.

The FCC on Sunday reported an uptick in outages affecting radio and television stations that were knocked off the air due to Hurricane Helene late last week.

According to The Desk.net, the number of AM and FM radio stations that were knocked off the air stood at 48 as of Sunday morning, more than three times the number of stations that were reported off the air one day after the storm made landfall.

The FCC’s count now includes two additional states — Tennessee and Virginia — that were not originally counted in the agency’s initial report. The other four states counted in the report are Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Georgia remains the state with the highest number of AM and FM radio outages, with 19 FM stations out of service and three AM stations, according to the FCC.

The number of TV stations reported offline has also increased to six across the multi-state disaster area, up from one station reported immediately after the hurricane made landfall.

Most of the stations are offline due to power outages, though a handful suffered transmitter damage, according to reports from the stations themselves.

At least two radio stations were off the air in Tennessee due to flooding, WEMB 1420 AM and WXIS 103.FM, owned by Jet Broadcasting, are currently off the air due to severe flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene. The flooding has significantly impacted the area.  The studios and tower of WXIS FM, along with Sports Radio 1420 WEMB, were completely flooded.  The horse shown in the photo is believed to have perished.

WXIS 103.9 FM Coverage Area

Jet Broadcasting, the owner of these stations, has expressed their intention to rebuild as quickly as possible. 

Broadcast Radio and Television Information: 

The following provides broadcast status based on data collected from DIRS input and FCC scans.

📺Television station status: 

• Florida: There are no TV stations reported as being out of service. 
• Georgia: There are 3 (up from 1) TV stations reported as being out of service.
• North Carolina: There are 3 (up from 0) TV stations reported as being out of service.
• South Carolina: There are no TV stations reported as being out of service.
• Tennessee: There are no TV stations reported as being out of service.
• Virginia: There are no TV stations reported as being out of service.

📻FM Radio station status: 

• Florida: There are 3 (no change) FM stations reported as being out of service, one of those 
• stations has programming sent to another transmitter.
• Georgia: There are 19 (up from 10) FM stations reported as being out of service.
• North Carolina: There are 4 (up from 2) FM stations reported as being out of service.
• South Carolina: There are 7 (up from 1) FM stations reported as being out of service.
• Tennessee: There are no FM stations reported being out of service.
• Virginia: There is 1 FM station reported as being out of service.

📻AM Radio station status:

• Florida: There is 1 (no change) AM station reported as being out of service. 
• Georgia: There are 3 (no change) AM stations reported as being out of service.
• North Carolina: There are 4 (up from 1) AM stations reported as being out of service.
• South Carolina: There are 6 (up from 4) AM stations reported as being out of service.
• Tennessee: There are no AM stations reported being out of service.
• Virginia: There are no AM stations reported being out of service.