Buncombe County hoping to add sirens, stream gauges almost a year after Helene

Almost a year after Hurricane Helene devastated the mountains of Western North Carolina, killing 108 people, the historic storm has forced emergency managers to take a hard look at how they can better protect the public in the future. As a result, Buncombe County has requested almost $12 million for mass notification sirens and stream gauges.

"One of the things that we've learned is we need to be a little bit more prepared," Buncombe County County Manager Avril Pinder told WCNC Charlotte. "That's what we've been focused on, the preparedness aspect of getting ready for the next storm."

A WCNC Charlotte investigation found inconsistent, inadequate and in some cases, non-existent efforts across North Carolina to evacuate those at risk leading up to and during the storm. Evacuation records and interviews show some local governments issued voluntary evacuations, others made them mandatory and some didn't evacuate anyone. Cell service problems and power outages also created issues for phone and internet service.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/buncombe-county-add-sirens-stream-gauges-after-helene-storm-preparedness-evacuation/275-14e0621f-d574-417c-becd-3df7fbdfadac

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