North Carolina faces dangerous conditions as Hurricane Helene passes through

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is urging people in Western North Carolina to stay off the roads as Hurricane Helene makes its way through the area.

Helene made landfall on Thursday night in Florida and quickly made its way up through Georgia and into South Carolina and North Carolina, claiming at least 11 lives in Georgia alone.

Trees that toppled onto homes were blamed for deaths in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Anderson County, South Carolina.

One person was killed in Florida when a sign fell on their car.

In North Carolina, officials report a lot of the major roads and secondary roads are closed due to either flooding or trees in the roads.

Lt. Josh Dowdle with the Highway Patrol said crews have been busy throughout the night and all morning long, responding to numerous calls. He said one of the biggest issues for crews is not only the rain but the high winds.

"It's very dangerous for our crews to be out there to clear the roads right now," he told WLOS. "Trees are going to have to stay in the roadways until this storm passes and it's safe for our first responders to clear the roadways."

Dowdle said his crews are experiencing the same thing other motorists are on the roads, which makes their jobs even tougher.

"They are hindered by trees across the roads and water in the roads. We are trying to get out there and help as fast as we can," he said.

Dowdle said there haven't been any accidents that have resulted in injuries at this point.

"A lot of people heeded the warning and stayed home this morning, so we're not having a lot of those calls for cars stranded right now," he said.

A complete list of road closures is available at DriveNC.gov.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.