A video shared on Facebook claims the death toll from Hurricane Helene is over 1,000 in one hospital in Asheville, North Carolina with over 900 bodies unidentified. 

Verdict: False

The claim is not accurate, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) told Check Your Fact via email.

Fact Check: 

Some public schools in Asheville reopened this week, but have changed their scheduling, according to NPR. Running water still may not be restored as the town has started work on wells, the outlet reported.

A Facebook post claims Hurricane Helene’s death toll in one hospital in Asheville is over 1,000 with an additional 900 unidentified bodies. The post shows an image of broken infrastructure with people walking through it.

“The death toll is over 1000 just in one hospital in asheville there is 900+ unidentified,” reads text overlaid over what appears to be an image of the aftermath of the hurricane.

The claim is inaccurate, however. The verified number of storm related deaths is currently 101, said Summer Tonizzo, a NCDHHS spokesperson, in an email to Check Your Fact

“No, it’s not clear where the 900/1,000 number being circulated online started originally,” Tonnizo said. “Local Emergency Management, EMS, the NC Medical Examiner System, OCME staff and western NC hospital systems are working collaboratively on fatality response. Together, they are ensuring the right procedures and plans are in place for casualties to be properly identified and cause of death determined to ensure that those lost to the storm are quickly reunited to families left behind. The system stays focused on their efforts to care for the decedents and to support the families left behind.”

Tonizzo referenced the NCDHHS website, which has a fatality count updated daily. A chart on this webpage shows that 43 of the 101 deaths in the state occurred in Buncombe County, where Asheville is located. (RELATED: Did FEMA Hire Illegal Immigrants For Hurricane Relief Efforts)

Additionally, Tonizzo added that each descendent is being tracked and cared for in either Asheville or the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) in Raleigh and that all examinations have been completed currently.

Check Your Fact reached out to an Asheville hospital for comment.