ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — In the days following Helene’s arrival in the Carolinas , some of the first videos and photos from officials on the ground in Western North Carolina could be found on Rowan County Sheriff Travis Allen’s social media accounts. The surreal images were some of the first indications of the scope of the storm’s impacts, showing washed-out roads, Chinook helicopters evacuating stranded people and endless piles of muddy debris alongside damaged homes and businesses.

The updates came from Allen himself, who deployed alongside his deputies, heading to hard-hit Avery County, an area that saw bridges and roads destroyed, connectivity cut off and local first responders overwhelmed.

“There are 100 sheriffs in North Carolina, and the sheriff's association has what they call a disa

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