### Death Toll from Hurricane Helene Adjusted After North Carolina County Overcount

The Buncombe County Sheriff's Office has reported a significant adjustment in the death toll attributed to Hurricane Helene, bringing the number of fatalities down by 30 from earlier counts. Initially, the county reported 72 deaths due to the storm, a figure that has now been revised to align with the state's official tally of 42 deaths.

This recalibration follows a period of confusion and miscommunication in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane. Deputy Christina Esmay explained that all early deaths were initially classified as storm-related and from Buncombe County. However, as more details emerged and accurate investigations were completed, it became clear that not all of these deaths were tied to the hurricane. Furthermore, some victims were not from Buncombe County and had died from causes unrelated to the storm. Widespread outages further compounded the difficulty in maintaining consistent communication during the crisis.

The state's numbers, which are reviewed and reported by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner based in Raleigh, have consistently shown a lower figure for Buncombe County. While the county initially reported its own numbers, it has since deferred to the state’s findings. As of Oct. 10, the state's official number for storm-related fatalities in Buncombe County stood at 42.

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Hannah Jones confirmed that the state's count of Hurricane Helene-related deaths is 96, with 42 occurring in Buncombe County. This confirmation aims to clarify discrepancies that emerged from independent county reports.

Additionally, Henderson County also adjusted its fatality numbers to match the state's count, lowering its previously reported deaths by two to a total of seven.

In light of these new figures, it is confirmed that at least 215 individuals across multiple states have lost their lives due to Hurricane Helene as of Tuesday.

The reassessment of the death toll underscores the challenges faced during the aftermath of such devastating storms. Accurate reporting is crucial for both public information and resource allocation in disaster response efforts.