The remnants of Hurricane Helene caused widespread flooding, downed trees, and power outages across western North Carolina. (Image: Travis Long / The News & Observer)

Hurricane Helene may have spun out after dumping massive amounts of rain and high winds over the weekend, but its effects are still being felt late this week. The damage from the massive Category 4 storm that brushed by Florida did not have much impact on situations there, but further inland – which normally does not have to deal with such matters – it is an entirely different story. As of today, casinos in North Carolina are focused on recovery efforts across the state, noting that many of their employees and customers are from the areas most devastated by Helene. 

As wreckage is cleared and the death toll mounts, the scope of this natural disaster is still coming into focus.  

Deadly and Dire Situation in North Carolina

The coast of North Carolina is more than ready to manage hurricanes and their aftermath, but the inland areas of the Tar Heel State, and especially the mountains of the state, are not used to such things. After blowing by the Tampa Bay area in Florida and making landfall near the capitol of Tallahassee, Helene raged onward bringing tropical storm force winds through Georgia and, perhaps most importantly, monumental amounts of rain. Particularly hit hard by these rains were the Carolinas, Tennessee, and the Smoky Mountains area, which received as much as four MONTHS of rain from Helene. As to be expected, this has significantly impacted the area. 

The overall scope of the tragedy is astounding. In addition to the four months of rain that the area received in just three days (Grandfather Mountain received as much as sixteen inches of rain by just Saturday alone), there has been a tragic loss of life for many on both sides of the Smokies. There have been 90 reported deaths in North Carolina, with South Carolina reporting twenty-nine deaths, Georgia twenty-five, and Florida fifteen victims. In North Carolina, there are still over 600 people who are listed as “missing” as first responders battle to reach many who are cut off from their neighborhoods. 

In many areas of the Smoky Mountains, roads are still closed from the massive rainfall and collapses and, in some cases, these closures could stretch to 2025. According to NewsChannel 5’s meteorologist Katie Melvin in Nashville Interstate 40, which connects Tennessee and North Carolina through the Smokies, will be shut down until at least the start of the New Year. However, there was a bit of good news in that US 441/Newfound Gap Road, a major thoroughfare between Tennessee and North Carolina, reopened as of Wednesday morning. 

Cherokees Bring 'Gadugi' to Relief Efforts

Harrah’s Cherokee casino was near some of the worst-hit areas in the state but avoid damage that befell its neighbors. They didn't lose power or water, but many of the roads connecting nearby towns were impassable.

Further east, Two Kings Casino, operated by the Catawba Tribe, closed temporarily. 

akfxoqsd.shop reached out to both properties for additional information, but didn't hear back immediately, and we understood why.

Chairman of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Mike Parker says his fellow tribe members were “lucky” to avoid the worst of Hurricane Helene.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with everybody,” Parker said, while Principal Chief Michell Hicks noted that they were encouraging a spirit of “Gadugi,” or lifting each other up and working together in times of need. 

Hicks said at a tribal he’s also been in contact with the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma and Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Alabama -- two tribes who have been at legal odds with each other -- to assist with relief efforts and donations to their neighbors hit hardest by Hurricane Helene.

In Florida, one property remained closed due to the massive storm surge from Helene. As of Wednesday, Win! Derby in St. Petersburg was still closed as they coped with electrical issues from the 10 to 15 feet of storm surge that caused “extensive” damage, according to the poker room’s Facebook page. The situation is dire enough that there is no planned day for Win! Derby to reopen. 

This story has been updated to correct an inaccurate headline that originally stated all three casinos in North Carolina were closed.