Bizarre dead-body rumours delay Helene disaster response, a North Carolina county spokesman says

Posted by Evelyn October 11, 2024
Bizarre dead-body rumours delay Helene disaster response, a North Carolina county spokesman says

The spokeswoman for Buncombe County, which has been significantly affected, stated on Thursday that false rumours circulating on social media are undermining the emergency response to the Helene disaster in Western North Carolina.

“1,000 unidentified bodies” at the Asheville hospital, one rumour suggested this week. “Buzzards abound.”

The CEO and founder of a beverage company in Charlotte contributed to the misinformation by sharing the rumour with her Facebook followers, as indicated by a copy of her post examined by The Charlotte Observer.

Two thousand people trapped in a Candler church, another rumour that has since been debunked stated.

A photo circulated online depicted individuals in what is claimed to be a mudslide in the North Carolina mountains during Helene. According to Buncombe County spokeswoman Lillian Govus, the slide occurred in a different part of the world and was not related to Helene.

“That is not accurate,” Govus stated in response to a question from The Charlotte Observer and The (Raleigh) News & Observer during her county’s daily Helene disaster-response news conference on Zoom.

“And those are painful, because … we must redirect resources and ensure that our emergency personnel address that item on the list.” This might be the fourth occasion on which we’ve accomplished that.

“… It diverts time and resources from our ability to perform those essential lifesaving actions in our community,” Govus stated.

“At this moment, accurate information is essential,” she stated. “However, while we strive to share accurate, correct, and truthful information promptly, addressing bizarre rumours presents a significant challenge for us to navigate.”

“I kindly request that if you feel the urge to share information on social media, please ensure that those sources come from the county, the city of Asheville, the agencies supporting us at the federal and state levels, including North Carolina Emergency Services, as well as verified individuals.”

Kody Kinsley, secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, referred to the social media rumours of hundreds of bodies piled up as “disinformation.”

“That’s simply not accurate,” he stated on Thursday.

“We don’t have a significant backlog of work here,” Kinsley stated. “We are not processing a significant number of decedents.”

On Wednesday afternoon, he stated that North Carolina was in the process of identifying four bodies.

The state has confirmed 115 deaths attributed to Helene, with the sheriff of Buncombe County reporting 72 fatalities within his jurisdiction, according to The News & Observer.

“Our search and recovery efforts continue unabated,” stated Buncombe Sheriff Quentin Miller. “We have been making continuous efforts to achieve that.” We must continue. We must persist in our progress.

Reporting human remains during Helene cleanup

If an individual discovers human remains while clearing debris, Kinsley advised that they should contact their local law enforcement’s non-emergency phone number. The local officials will collaborate with the state team to collect the remains and begin the processing phase.

To assist in the identification of bodies, DHHS has relocated medical examiners from the eastern region of the state to the west. When a body is discovered, Kinsley stated, it is retrieved by one of six fatality recovery teams operating in the storm-affected area.

Subsequently, the body is transported to a central processing facility where examiners initially attempt to identify the individual. Finding them in their home or with identification makes the situation more straightforward.

However, Kinsley noted that identification can occasionally necessitate DNA analysis or support from the State Crime Lab in North Carolina.

Once a body is identified, the examiners strive to ascertain if the cause of death is linked to the storm. In instances of drowning or when someone is a victim of a landslip, the situation is clear.

Kinsley noted that at times, the situation can be more challenging, such as when an individual is discovered in a residence and the cause of death could be attributed to either blunt force trauma or a heart attack.

Such cases necessitate a greater level of effort from forensic pathologists.

Kinsley added that DHHS makes efforts to inform families of storm victims about what occurred as promptly as possible.

“We promptly notify the family, and subsequently, we include them in our storm total.” “We will proceed with processing the remains to ensure they are returned to the family,” Kinsley stated.

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