Four people died in the flood. Five people are still missing. About 200 rescuers continue to search for the missing in homes and buildings along the Pigeon River, which has reached record levels.
More than 105 people and 23 pets have been rescued from floods in western counties since Tuesday. In a statement, Sheriff Greg Christopher said:
“It is with great sadness that we have reported that two more victims of the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Fred have been identified and recovered. Identification and notification of relatives is under way and more information on these people will be released after the completion of this process.”
"We would like to express our condolences to all the families affected by this tragedy, and especially to those who have lost loved ones."
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper inspected the flood damage while visiting Canton City and the Crusoe Community in Haywood County.
“The people of western North Carolina have been hit hard by Tropical Storm Fred and we are committed to providing all the resources we have to provide them with the help they need,” Gov. Roy Cooper said. "We pray for all those affected by this storm."
Gov. Cooper declared a state of emergency on Wednesday to activate the state's contingency plan. The state of emergency also applies to Jackson, McDowell, Madison, Mitchell, Rutherford, Transylvania and Yancy counties.
The governor said he will seek federal aid, additional state aid and a plan to make society more resilient to future hurricanes.