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

In a news conference Tuesday, Cooper warned that the number could change as more missing person reports are resolved.

“I would like to note that this is not a final count as the task force continues its work,” he said.

It is known that 95 people died in North Carolina as a result of the storm, while more than 220 people were killed overall, including in Florida, where the storm made landfall.

During the press conference, Cooper also noted the “persistent and dangerous stream of misinformation” circulating about the hurricane, which he said continues to complicate relief efforts.

He said such misinformation “causes confusion and demoralizes both storm survivors and emergency responders.”

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

His comments come at a time when federal employees have faced growing distrust from some local residents due to the spread of a series of false conspiracy theories surrounding Helene.

The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) said it had to change its operations in the state and briefly withdraw from a county due to threats fueled by misinformation.

Last Saturday, Police in Rutherford County have arrested a man who allegedly spoke publicly about injuring deputies and was found with a rifle and a handgun.

False conspiracy theories – many of them politically motivated – about land confiscation, aid payments and deliberate weather manipulation have spread rapidly online.

Several extremist groups are reportedly active in the region and are trying to capitalize on the disaster and rumors.

Hurricane Helene destroyed several towns in western North Carolina, where more than six months of rain fell as the storm passed through.

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.