By Tim Gardner
A woman has been found deceased in Avery County after having been confirmed as missing since Hurricane Helene hit the area more than a month ago.
According to Avery County Sheriff Mike Henley, a search operation conducted on the North Toe River in the Ingalls community of the county’s southern end on October 23 led to the discovery of the woman’s body.
The area being searched was only accessible by foot, Sheriff Henley added.
The woman has been positively identified as Charlene Caroline Wilber, age 70, of 516 Bowman Town Road, Telford, Tennessee, a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Washington County located about 14 miles northeast of Johnson City between Jonesborough and Limestone.
Authorities used dental records to identify Wilber.
She had been missing from the Buck Hill Campground in the Spear Community, also in Avery County, since September 27. Wilbur’s body was found approximately 7 miles south of the campground.
Sheriff Henley stated in a news release on October 30 that Wilber was one of three people who were missing in the county when her body was found.
Two people remain missing and five have died in Avery County as a result of Hurricane Helene, which dumped more than 30 inches of rain in the county and also caused washouts of many roads, numerous landslides, collapsed homes, the uprooting and falling of thousands of trees, as well as downed electric, telephone, and internet lines resulting in many thousands of outages of each. The hurricane also caused many cellphone outages and periodic interruption of such service for many has continued even after it was restored.
Sheriff Henley concluded in the news release that he and his staff personnel will continue efforts to find the remaining missing individuals and follow any leads received pertaining to them.
State officials announced on October 30 that Helene’s death toll in North Carolina has surpassed 100.
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