“Helene threatens heavy rain, flash flooding, landslides, and damaging winds to the mountains and Piedmont areas of our state,” Cooper said in a statement. “Now is the time for North Carolinians to prepare, make sure emergency kits are up-to-date and pay attention to the weather alerts in your area.”

Helene, now a weakened post-tropical cyclone, left chaos and destruction across the Southeast. A damage estimate said the storm will cost billions.

Road closures caused by surging rivers and disrupted communications in the wake of Hurricane Helene on Saturday isolated western North Carolina in what officials are calling a "catastrophic natural disaster.