North Carolina county overcounted Helene deaths, sheriff says

The North Carolina region that is location to Asheville overcounted deaths caused by Helene by arsenic galore arsenic 30, according to a connection Tuesday from its sheriff's agency and information from nan state, importantly reducing nan decease toll from nan historical storm.

Buncombe County officials, who antecedently reported 72 deaths, are now deferring to a authorities tally of 42 deaths for nan county.

The county's number dates backmost to an Oct. 3 news merchandise successful which region officials reported that "72 lives person been mislaid owed to Hurricane Helene," repeating a number cited by Sheriff Quentin Miller astatine an earlier media briefing. But authorities officials, relying connected reviews by nan Office of nan Chief Medical Examiner successful Raleigh, person consistently reported a number little than that for nan county. The number for Buncombe County included successful nan state's tally has stood astatine 42 since astatine slightest Oct. 10.

On Tuesday, nan Buncombe County Sheriff's agency acknowledged successful a connection that nan number of deaths successful nan region was little than nan number it provided.

"In nan early aftermath of Hurricane Helene, each deaths were being classified arsenic large wind related and from Buncombe County. However, arsenic nan days progressed, BCSO was capable to place who had passed distant owed to nan hurricane, who was successful truth from Buncombe County, and who passed distant from different causes," Buncombe County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Christina Esmay told CBS News successful a connection Tuesday. "Compounded pinch nan deficiency of accordant communication, owed to wide outages, nan Buncombe County fatality number that was initially provided to Sheriff Miller has decreased."

The sheriff's agency did not supply further information.

The Office of Chief Medical Examiner successful Raleigh typically reviews upwind deaths and makes a ruling connected origin earlier reporting numbers done authorities officials, a process it has utilized successful past storms for years. But successful nan chaos pursuing Helene, a number of counties reported fatality numbers independently of nan state. The state's tally has gradually accrued done Tuesday, but nan climb has slowed arsenic bodies person been examined.

A spokesperson from nan North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services told CBS News that Buncombe County is "relying connected nan authorities to study storm-related deaths." Hannah Jones, nan spokesperson, said nan state's count of storm-related fatalities stands astatine 96, pinch 42 of these deaths were successful Buncombe County.

"We do not person accusation astir really Buncombe County was determining fatality numbers for nan decease totals they were reporting for their county. We understand that Buncombe County decided to extremity their independent reporting a mates weeks agone and are relying connected nan authorities to study storm-related deaths," Jones said.  

Another county, Henderson, had antecedently reported 2 much deaths than nan state, but said connected Tuesday that it agrees pinch nan state's tally of 7 deaths.

Using nan caller North Carolina figures, CBS News has now confirmed done Tuesday astatine slightest 215 full deaths crossed aggregate states owed to Helene. 

In:
• North Carolina
• Hurricanes