Buncombe County revises Hurricane Helene death toll, reducing count by up to 30

Buncombe County, North Carolina, has revised its death toll from Hurricane Helene, acknowledging an overcount of up to 30 deaths. The county previously reported 72 deaths but now defers to the state’s count of 42. The sheriff's office attributed the discrepancy to misclassification of deaths and communication issues following the storm. The state’s tally has remained consistent since October 10, relying on reviews by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. As of Tuesday, the state reported a total of 96 deaths from Helene across North Carolina. The Associated Press has updated its multistate tally to 214 deaths, reflecting the new information from Buncombe County.