NORTH CAROLINA (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Nearly 40 survivors stranded in western North Carolina were rescued over the weekend by air search and rescue teams. According to North Carolina Gov. Cooper's Office, search and rescue teams flew 48 additional missions on Saturday, Oct. 5, finding 39 people after Helene brought catastrophic flooding. Insurance company cancels policy days after North Carolina couple loses home to landslide So far, more than 6,500 people have been rescued, evacuated, or assisted by search and rescue teams since the storm hit the state, state officials said. Nearly 50 search and rescue teams have deployed more than 1,600 responders to the region over the past ten days. Local and state emergency responders now have the assistance of about 1,700 North Carolina National Guard and 1,000 active-duty military personnel. North Carolina Missing Persons To report a missing person or request non-emergency support, please call NC 211 or 1-888-892-1162 if calling from out of state. NC 211 also has a registry page for missing persons and welfare check requests. North Carolina Fatalities Authorities said 77 storm-related deaths have been confirmed in North Carolina by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. "We expect that this number will continue to rise over the coming days," Gov. Cooper's Office said over the weekend. The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will continue to confirm numbers twice daily. If you have an emergency or believe that someone is in danger, please call 911. ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 03: An aerial view of flood damage wrought by Hurricane Helene along the Swannanoa River on October 3, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. At least 200 people were killed in six states in the wake of the powerful hurricane which made landfall as a Category 4. President Joe Biden took an aerial tour of the devastated region yesterday and ordered the deployment of 1,000 active duty U.S. soldiers to assist with storm relief efforts and reinforce the North Carolina National Guard. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 03: An aerial view of flood damage wrought by Hurricane Helene along the Swannanoa River on October 3, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. At least 200 people were killed in six states in the wake of the powerful hurricane which made landfall as a Category 4. President Joe Biden took an aerial tour of the devastated region yesterday and ordered the deployment of 1,000 active duty U.S. soldiers to assist with storm relief efforts and reinforce the North Carolina National Guard. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) North Carolina Road Closures Travel remains dangerous, with approximately 650 roads closed as of Sunday, Oct. 6. More than 100 of those roads are primary routes connecting the region. NCDOT is asking people to avoid unnecessary travel to or in Western North Carolina. NCDOT has posted an interstate detour map for travelers to avoid Western NC. North Carolina power outages Across Western North Carolina, about 142,000 customers remained without power this weekend, down from a peak of more than 1 million. Overall power outage numbers will fluctuate up and down as power crews temporarily take circuits or substations offline to make repairs and restore additional customers, officials said. More North Carolina aid coming At Gov. Cooper’s request, nearly 1,000 soldiers from Fort Liberty and Fort Campbell have been mobilized to assist with search and rescue and coordination of air traffic. They are partnering with the NC Department of Transportation to help speed the clearing of roads, and with county emergency managers to distribute commodities including food and water. An additional 500 active-duty soldiers will join those already deployed. I-40 MM4 near Tenn. line (NCDOT, Oct. 3, 2024) I-40 MM4 near Tenn. line (NCDOT, Oct. 3, 2024) I-40 MM4 near Tenn. line (NCDOT, Oct. 3, 2024) I-40 MM4 near Tenn. line (NCDOT, Oct. 3, 2024) North Carolina National Guard, military response Gov. Cooper activated more than 1,700 NC National Guard soldiers and airmen who are conducting ongoing search and rescue operations and delivering critical supplies.  Active-duty military personnel and equipment requested are now also part of response efforts. National Guard and military personnel from NC and other states are operating more than 50 helicopters and more than 716 specialized vehicles in Western North Carolina. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is helping to assess water and wastewater plants and dams. Residents can track the status of the public water supply in their area through a website launched on Saturday. North Carolina cell service Authorities said communications in the region are improving rapidly, making it easier to identify help needed by communities and people. Cellphone providers reported significant gains in service coverage Sunday, with an estimated 80% of access to cell service in the region restored. Federal Emergency Management Agency teams will install a fiber optic cable to support telecom partners in restoring communications to the remaining inaccessible areas. An additional 30 Starlink satellite systems have arrived and will support search and rescue efforts underway at the North Carolina Emergency Response Center and mobile locations. North Carolina donations Due to dangerous road conditions and the need to maintain open routes for emergency operations, travel to Western North Carolina is strongly discouraged. Instead, consider the following options for donations and volunteer opportunities: If you would like to donate to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund, visit nc.gov/donate. Donations will help to support local nonprofits working on the ground. For information on volunteer opportunities, please click here.