Ninety-two people are still missing in North Carolinaweeks after Hurricane Helene devastated the western part of the state, Gov. Roy Cooper said yesterday.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Cooper warned that the number could change as some of the missing are located.

“I want to warn that this is not a final tally because the task force is continuing its work,” he said.

In North Carolina, 95 people have died as a result of the storm, while more than 220 have been killed overall, including in Florida, where the storm made landfall.

At the press conference, Cooper also addressed the “persistent and dangerous misinformation” circulating about the hurricane, which he said is complicating relief efforts.

He said such misinformation “creates confusion and demoralizes survivors and those working to relieve those affected.”

“If you’re involved in spreading this stuff, stop it,” Cooper warned. “Whatever your goal, the people you’re really hurting are those in western North Carolina who need help.”

Rescuers faced disbelief from local residents as a result of a series of false conspiracy theories about the storm.

The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) was forced out of a county briefly due to threats fueled by misinformation.

Last Saturday, police in Rutherford County arrested a man who allegedly threatened to harm first responders and was found with a rifle and a handgun.

False conspiracy theories – many of them politically motivated – about land confiscation, reparations spread very quickly on the internet.

Reports indicate that several extremist groups are operating in the region, trying to capitalize on the destruction and rumours.

Rescue efforts were complicated by the mountainous and rugged terrain of western North Carolina, where homes and bridges were washed away and the popular tourist town of Asheville was cut off.